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AriBio Co., a South Korean biopharmaceutical company specialising in neurodegenerative diseases, and a Swiss pharmaceutical company Acino, part of Arcera, a global life sciences company based in Abu Dhabi, have announced the signing of exclusive licensing and commercialisation, and supply agreements for AR1001, an investigational oral therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.
Under the terms of the agreements, Arcera will have exclusive rights to commercialise AR1001 in its key markets, including Latin America, the Middle East, Southern Africa, Ukraine and select Eurasian countries.
AriBio will be responsible for manufacturing and supplying the product. The total deal value is estimated at $600 million across the development, launch and commercialization period, contingent upon the achievement of certain milestones.
AR1001 is a novel, disease-modifying, once-daily oral phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor currently being studied in a global Phase 3 clinical trial (POLARIS-AD) for the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The enrollment target for the Phase 3 trial has been reached, and the topline results are expected in the first half of 2026.
Facilitated by the Korea Development Bank (KDB) and aligned with the Korean government’s policy to foster the biohealth industry, this collaboration represents a significant step forward to enhance the global competitiveness of Korea’s pharmaceutical and biotech industry.
This deal follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed between AriBio and Arcera in March 2025, where both parties agreed to strengthen their partnership by actively exploring strategic investments, and advancing joint research and development based on shared interests.
