Four months after Chinese gene editing company YolTech Therapeutics took its cholesterol disease-focused candidate into the clinic, Salubris Pharmaceuticals has secured the local rights to the drug for 205 million Chinese yuan ($28.7 million).
The asset, dubbed YOLT-101, is an in vivo liver base editing medicine designed as a single-course treatment for three cholesterol-related conditions: heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH); established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; and uncontrolled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
Back in April, YolTech dosed the first patient in a phase 1 trial of YOLT-101 in individuals with FH, a genetic disorder characterized by high cholesterol levels. YOLT-101 is designed to permanently inhibit the PCSK9 gene in the liver, and the biotech said at the time that the therapy had been shown to reduce LDL-C levels for nearly two years in non-human primate models.
To gain the rights to develop and commercialize YOLT-101 in Mainland China only, Salubris is handing over 205 million yuan in a combination of an upfront payment and a development milestone. The company could be liable to pay up to a further 830 million yuan ($116 million) in commercial milestones on top of tiered royalties, should the therapy make it to the Chinese market.
Shanghai-based YolTech will continue its work preclinically developing YOLT-101, with Shenzhen, China-based Salubris assuming responsibility for preparing and conducting human trials and beyond.
“In vivo gene editing represents a paradigm shift in medical treatment, enabling precise interventions for complex diseases, including cardiovascular disorders,” said Salubris Chairman Yuxiang Ye in today’s release.
“Our collaboration with YolTech is a strategic move to leverage this cutting-edge technology and transcend the limitations of conventional therapies,” the chairman added. “This alliance underscores our mutual commitment to innovation and positions us for long-term success in delivering transformative therapies.”
YolTech has another candidate in the clinic in the form of YOLT-201, an in vivo gene editing therapy that began a phase 1 trial for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis last month.
Saluris has a wide range of drugs in its varied pipeline including enadostat, a hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor approved in China for non-dialysis adults with chronic kidney disease.