RemeGen and Santen Sign Exclusive Licensing Deal for Ophthalmic Drug RC28-E in Greater China and Asia
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
RemeGen has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical.
Under the agreement, Santen will develop, manufacture, and commercialise RC28-E in Greater China (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) as well as South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. RemeGen will retain global rights outside these territories.
As part of the deal, RemeGen will receive an upfront payment of RMB 250 million, with potential development and regulatory milestone payments of up to RMB 520 million, and sales milestone payments of up to RMB 525 million. The company will also earn tiered royalties based on net sales in the licensed regions.
RC28-E is a dual-target fusion protein drug that blocks VEGF and FGF pathways, developed for the treatment of ocular neovascular diseases. Phase II clinical trial results presented at the ARVO 2025 Annual Meeting showed that RC28-E improved best-corrected visual acuity and reduced central subfield thickness in patients with diabetic macular oedema (DME), while also being well tolerated.
Phase III studies are currently underway for both wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) and DME. RemeGen plans to submit a Biologics Licence Application (BLA) for DME in China in the second half of 2025, followed by a BLA for wAMD in mid-2026.
The partnership combines RemeGen’s expertise in drug development with Santen’s established presence in ophthalmology across Asia, aiming to accelerate the availability of RC28-E as a new treatment option for retinal diseases.
Source: prnewswire.com
