JCR Pharma inks deal with Takeda for Hunter syndrome candidate

Drug major Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502) today announced a geographically-focused exclusive collaboration and license agreement with fellow Japan-based JCR Pharmaceuticals (TYO: 4552) to commercialize JR-141 (pabinafusp alfa), an investigational, next-generation recombinant fusion protein of an antibody against the human transferrin receptor and iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) enzyme for the treatment of Hunter syndrome (also known as mucopolysaccharidosis type II or MPS II).

JR-141 was approved by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare this year and has been marketed since May 2021 under the brand name Izcargo.

Hunter syndrome is caused by a deficiency of IDS and manifests in different forms. JR-141, applied with J-Brain Cargo, JCR’s proprietary blood-brain barrier (BBB) technology, is engineered to transport the therapeutic enzyme across the BBB to directly reach the brain and address both the somatic and neuronopathic manifestations of the disease, which can lead to progressive cognitive decline.