Novartis Inks $1.2B+ Deal for CKD’s Selective HDAC6 Inhibitor CKD-510

▎WuXi

Edited by Kant Content Team

Today, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical (CKD) announced an agreement with Novartis for its Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitor CKD-510, granting Novartis exclusive global rights outside of Korea.

As part of the agreement,CKD to Receive $80 Million Upfront Payment. Additionally, CKD May Obtain up to $1.225 Billion Based on Future Drug Development and Regulatory Milestones.

CKD-510 is a highly selective HDAC6-targeted small molecule inhibitor.In animal studies inducing atrial fibrillation, CKD-510 demonstrated positive results. It increased the levels of acetylated α-tubulin while reducing the activity of the calcium-activated protease calpain. These changes were accompanied by an improvement in action potential duration (APD90) as well as a reduction in the incidence and duration of atrial fibrillation.

CKD highlights the unique advantages of CKD-510 with non-hydroxamate characteristics.This characteristic is expected to address common issues associated with HDAC inhibitors, such as toxicity, rapid elimination from the body, and the formation of numerous metabolites. Therefore,CKD believes that CKD-510 may have potential applications beyond the field of oncology.

CKD has completed the Phase 1 clinical trial of CKD-510 in Europe., this trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of CKD-510 in treating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a rare genetic disorder.