Evommune and AprilBio Ink Pact To Commercialize Antibody Drugs

Evommune, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology firm based in Palo Alto that is exploring for new ways to treat immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, declared it has forayed into a definitive, worldwide license agreement with AprilBio Co., Ltd., a South Korean biopharmaceutical firm that makes specialized biologics and antibody drugs, for an IL-18 targeted fusion protein.

The firm receives worldwide exclusive rights to research, develop, and market APB-R3, known as EVO301. This long-acting injectable fusion protein is intended to neutralize the signal pathway that IL-18 uses to regulate inflammation. In the beginning of 2025, Evommune intends to begin a phase 2 clinical trial.

"We are committed to making a difference for patients suffering from chronic inflammation.  Adding this exciting new targeted molecule is another important growth step for Evommune.  EVO301 is a product candidate leveraging a novel approach in a mechanism that has demonstrated activity in prior clinical trials. While we continue to execute on our pipeline, including EVO756, our MRGPRX2 antagonist, EVO301 provides the potential to offer a best-in-class therapeutic for patients being underserved by existing treatment options in multiple diseases.  We believe the proprietary serum albumin binding motif fused to an IL-18 binding protein may facilitate deep tissue penetration with an extended half-life," said Luis Pena, Evommune president & CEO.

"As we evaluate partners of our pipeline products, we are thrilled to license the IL-18 fusion protein to Evommune, a company with significant drug development expertise in the areas of chronic inflammatory diseases.  Evommune's ability to broadly develop this product candidate throughout its potentially broad life cycle process was a key driver of our desire to collaborate with them," commented Dr. Sang-hoon Cha, CEO at AprilBio.