BRIEF—New antisense deal agreed in China

A licensing agreement has been reached between Suzhou-based Ribo Life Science and Jinan-headquartered Qilu Pharmaceutical.

The Chinese firms have agreed terms for a deal related to RBD7022, a PCSK9-targeting antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy.

A cutting-edge area of drug development, ASOs target diseases at the RNA level, altering protein expression through a range of mechanisms.

Under the terms of the deal, Qilu will gain rights for development, production, and commercialization in China, Hong Kong and Macau, while Ribo will receive an upfront payment, possible milestone payments plus royalties on sales.

The candidate has been developed using Ribo's RIBO-GalSTAR tech, aimed at treating patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.