Mundipharma to bring world's first gene therapy for knee osteoarthritis

In a multi-year agreement for up to USD 600 million, Mundipharma has acquired the exclusive rights for Invossa in Japan from Kolon Life Sciences.

Invossa is a non-surgical treatment for osteoarthritis pain with long-term efficacy that has been hailed as the world's first cell-mediated gene therapy for osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis.

This massive unmet patient need made it a priority for Mundipharma and Kolon Life Sciences to extend its partnership into Japan. The two entities first signed an agreement for Invossa in Korea, where it was first approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2017.

Mundipharma CEO, Raman Singh, said: "We are always looking to identify areas in which we can make the most difference. While we will go through the rigorous process of conducting clinical trials and getting Invossa registered in Japan, it is very satisfying to think of the millions of patients who could benefit from this revolutionary medicine in the near future following this agreement."

"We are delighted to extend our partnership with Kolon Life Science. This is a prime example of how our partners can effectively leverage the strength of our network capability and experience to ensure that hospitals, GPs and patients have access to new breakthrough treatments such as Invossa," he added.

Invossa is an intra-articular injection that is a non-surgical treatment option, which demonstrates sustained pain reduction and functional improvement of articular joint for one year following a single injection; based on a US phase II clinical trial and a Korean phase III clinical trial.

Under the terms of the partnership, Mundipharma will be responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Invossa to medical professionals and hospitals in Japan.

"Mundipharma's global R&D, sales and marketing capability in the area of pain management makes it an ideal partner to establish successful pathways into new markets," said Woo-Sok Lee President and CEO, Kolon Life Sciences. "They are an ideal partner to help establish Invossa in Japan as we look to scale this breakthrough therapy as a global standard treatment option."

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