AriBio CEO and president Dr Soo-Hyun Sung said, "This agreement recognizes AriBio’s capabilities in drug discovery and development for ophthalmologic disorders."
Both parties have agreed to complete the preclinical development soon, then commence clinical trials and submit an investigational new drug (IND) application to US FDA.
Additional strategic options for partnering and commercialization are also being considered.
Supporting the competitive advantage over existing therapies, SKL-G was shown to prevent optic nerve cell death and, in addition, lowered intraocular pressure in various animal models.
SK Biopharmaceuticals CEO and president Dr Christopher Gallen said, "While focused on the disorders and mechanisms of the nervous system, the powerful SK Biopharmaceuticals Third Wave discovery platform creates compounds that are also relevant to diseases in other body systems, in this case, the eye."