California-based Kiora Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: KPRX) has licensed South Korean development and commercialization rights for KIO-301, its molecular photoswitch for retinitis pigmentosa, to South Korea-based Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation (KRX: 185750), adding another territory to a regional partnering strategy established ahead of the asset's Phase II readout.
Under the agreement, Kiora receives a USD 1 million upfront payment and is eligible for additional development and regulatory milestones and royalties on future Korean sales. CKD assumes responsibility for development and commercialization in South Korea. Financial terms beyond the upfront payment were not disclosed.
The agreement builds on Kiora's existing partnerships for KIO-301. Laboratoires Théa holds global rights outside Asia under a January 2024 agreement worth up to USD 301 million, including USD 16 million upfront, plus royalties and reimbursement of KIO-301 research and development costs. Japan-based Senju Pharmaceutical also holds an exclusive option covering Asian territories outside South Korea, with a mid-single-digit million payment due if the option is exercised.
KIO-301 is a small-molecule photoswitch designed to restore light sensitivity to retinal ganglion cells that remain after photoreceptor degeneration. Because its mechanism does not depend on correcting a specific disease-causing mutation, Kiora is developing the candidate as a gene-agnostic approach to retinitis pigmentosa and potentially other inherited retinal diseases. Phase I results from the ABACUS study were published in Nature Medicine in April 2026, and the Phase II ABACUS-2 study is currently enrolling, with topline results expected in Q3 2027.