[FNEplus = Mi-joo Lee] InTherapeutics, a drug discovery company specializing in novel therapeutics, announced on the 18th that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Niroda Therapeutics (hereinafter “Niroda”) for its independently developed next-generation non-opioid pain drug candidate, Aneratrigine. The total deal value amounts to approximately KRW 7.5 trillion (over USD 500 million).
Under the agreement, InTherapeutics secured an upfront payment upon contract execution and is eligible to receive stepwise milestone payments, including near-term milestones within the next 18 months, as well as royalties.
InTherapeutics’ core strength lies in its expertise in developing neurological disease drugs targeting ion channels, which serve as gateways for electrical signaling between cells. The company owns its proprietary ion-channel drug discovery platform, VITVO, which has generated multiple drug candidates including Aneratrigine.
Globally, including in the United States, the public health emergency known as the “opioid crisis,” caused by widespread abuse of opioid painkillers, continues to intensify, driving strong demand for non-opioid pain therapeutics.
Aneratrigine is a non-opioid pain drug candidate with no risk of dependency or abuse. It exerts its effect by selectively inhibiting NaV1.7, an ion channel that plays a critical role in chronic pain modulation. In the non-opioid analgesics market, there are currently no established therapies for chronic and neuropathic pain.
Niroda, the partner company, was co-founded by major U.S. venture capital firms Population Health Partners, F-Prime Capital, and Lilly Asia Ventures. It is backed by a veteran team with decades of experience in ion-channel drug development, positioning it well to advance and commercialize InTherapeutics’ candidate and technology.
Under the terms of the agreement, Niroda secures exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize Aneratrigine in major markets including the United States and Europe. InTherapeutics retains rights in select Asian territories such as Korea and China. The company’s ongoing Phase 2 clinical programs in Korea and Europe will be realigned to fit Niroda’s global development strategy.
In addition, InTherapeutics and Niroda plan to develop NaV1.7 inhibitors and NaV1.8 inhibitors—two ion-channel targets that play complementary roles in pain signal transmission—either as monotherapies or combination therapies, with the goal of delivering broader therapeutic coverage and enhanced pain relief.
Following the completion of this landmark deal, InTherapeutics also secured approximately KRW 23 billion in additional funding, further strengthening its financial stability. With the global validation of its proprietary ion-channel platform through this licensing agreement, the company expects to accelerate development and partnerships for follow-on pipelines, while gaining momentum toward its planned IPO in 2027.
Park Jong-duk, CEO of InTherapeutics, commented, “This agreement represents a major milestone that validates the global commercialization potential of our ion-channel platform technology. We will actively reinvest the secured capital into follow-on pipelines, including treatments for hearing loss and brain disorders, and progressively strengthen our in-house commercialization capabilities as we pursue our goal of becoming a global biotech company through a 2027 IPO.”
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