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South Korea-based Hyundai Bioscience, and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), an international non-profit organisation that discovers, develops and delivers treatments for neglected patients, have jointly announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop Xafty, a niclosamide-based broad-spectrum antiviral candidate, into a potential affordable, accessible, and safe antiviral treatment for dengue.
Both parties will jointly promote a project for the research, development, and global deployment of a Xafty-based dengue antiviral treatment. To this end, they plan to establish a joint project team responsible for clinical trials, manufacturing, and regulatory strategies, while also collaborating to expand treatment affordability and accessibility in low- and middle-income countries.
Hyundai Bio and DNDi will aim to jointly conduct clinical research, manage regulatory approval processes for new drugs, and collaborate globally to secure research funding and resources. Hyundai Bio will grant DNDi a non-exclusive license to support the global application of Xafty.
Xafty, a niclosamide-based candidate, has been recognized in previous studies for its broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Notably, as there are currently no FDA- (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) or EMA- (European Medicines Agency) approved specific dengue treatments, developing Xafty as an economical and effective treatment option is of great importance, making this collaboration highly meaningful.
In December 2024, Hyundai Bio received approval from the Science, Technology, and Training Department (ASTT) under the Vietnam Ministry of Health (MOH) for a clinical trial of Xafty for dengue fever. In January this year, the company received approval for the clinical trial protocol from Vietnam’s Central Ethics Committee (EC).
This Hyundai-DNDi collaboration is expected to accelerate the development of Xafty with the ultimate aim of improving access to novel treatments in low- and middle-income countries.
