Sentynl Therapeutics, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Zydus Lifesciences, has entered into a licensing agreement with South Korean rare disease company PRG S&T to acquire rights to Progerinin (SLC-D011), an investigational oral small-molecule drug candidate for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (announcement). Sentynl, headquartered in Solana Beach, California, will work with PRG S&T, based in South Korea, to advance clinical development of the progeria drug candidate. The program is finalizing a Phase 2A clinical trial, with data expected before the end of the first half of 2026. Progerinin holds US FDA orphan drug designation.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The agreement is structured so that Sentynl will acquire full rights to Progerinin for HGPS upon closing, contingent on certain unspecified milestones being met. No upfront payment, milestone values, royalty rates, or equity components were reported. The territory scope was not explicitly defined, though the language describing "full rights" and Sentynl's global operations through parent company Zydus Lifesciences suggests a broad geographic license.
Deal context
Progerinin is an orally active small molecule designed to inhibit the pathological interaction between progerin and normal cellular structures. HGPS is caused by a point mutation in the LMNA gene that produces progerin, an abnormal form of the lamin A protein. Progerin accumulates in cell nuclei, disrupting nuclear architecture and accelerating cellular aging. Children with the condition typically develop atherosclerosis, skeletal abnormalities, and cardiovascular decline, with an average lifespan of 14.5 years. Progerinin targets the binding interface between progerin and lamin A, aiming to restore nuclear integrity and reduce downstream cellular damage. In preclinical mouse models, treatment extended average lifespan from 16.8 weeks to 25.2 weeks and improved body weight. A Phase I study in healthy volunteers has been completed (NCT04512963).
The deal positions Progerinin as Sentynl's second therapy directed at HGPS. The company already markets Zokinvy (lonafarnib), the only approved treatment for HGPS and certain processing-deficient progeroid laminopathies in the U.S., European Union, Great Britain, Israel, and Japan. Zokinvy works upstream of Progerinin by inhibiting farnesyltransferase, preventing the farnesylation of prelamin A and reducing progerin accumulation. Progerinin's mechanism is distinct, acting on progerin after it has been produced. This complementary approach could allow for combination strategies, though no combination trial data are available. For PRG S&T, the agreement transfers development and commercialization responsibilities for this indication to a company with an existing rare disease commercial infrastructure.