Suzhou Siran Biotechnology has announced a worldwide exclusive license agreement with GSK (excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) for SA030, a potential first-in-disease, long-acting, small interfering RNA (siRNA) oligonucleotide in development for treatment of metabolic and vascular disease.
SA030 has recently entered phase I trials and targets activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7), an established therapeutic mechanism for cardiometabolic disease. The programme represents broad clinical and market potential given unaddressed cardiometabolic risk across multiple chronic diseases.
Cardiometabolic disease is the leading cause of death in approximately 50% of patients with chronic kidney and liver diseases. Targeting ALK7 could reduce abdominal fat (visceral adipose tissue, VAT) while preserving lean mass, leading to improved insulin sensitivity, blood lipid profile and reduced fat cell-driven inflammation.
GSK will pay an upfront fee as well as potential future success-based development, regulatory and commercial milestones payments up to $1.005 billion, and tiered royalties on global product net sales (excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan).
China-based startup SiranBio will lead the clinical development of SA030 through the completion of phase I, following which GSK will assume responsibility for development, regulatory filings, and commercialisation outside of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
