Angelini Pharma has secured exclusive global development and commercialization rights for SVG105, a preclinical antisense oligonucleotide compound developed by South Korean biotechnology company Sovargen. The agreement, announced on September 22, 2025, positions the Italian pharmaceutical company to advance a potentially first-in-class therapy targeting mTOR pathways for brain health disorders, particularly drug-resistant childhood epilepsy.
Strategic Partnership Terms
Under the collaboration agreement, Angelini Pharma and Sovargen will jointly lead preclinical development efforts for SVG105. Following an initial option period, Angelini Pharma will have exclusive rights to advance the compound into clinical development and commercialization outside of the Republic of Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Sovargen will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for additional milestone-dependent payments totaling approximately $550 million, along with tiered royalties on post-approval net sales. The financial structure reflects the significant therapeutic potential of the novel antisense oligonucleotide platform.
Novel Therapeutic Mechanism
SVG105 represents a potentially first-in-class antisense oligonucleotide technology designed to target mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathways. According to the companies, mTOR is a genetically validated target for various brain health disorders, including drug-resistant childhood epilepsy.
Sovargen's proprietary antisense oligonucleotide platform enables precise gene modulation in the brain. The lead program specifically targets drug-resistant epilepsy caused by focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type II, addressing conditions that arise from somatic mutations—genetic changes acquired during brain development or aging.
Addressing Unmet Medical Need
The partnership targets a significant gap in epilepsy treatment. Approximately 40% of people living with epilepsy remain uncontrolled despite treatment with two anti-seizure medications, according to data cited by the companies. This represents a substantial unmet medical need in a condition affecting approximately 50 million people globally and up to six million Europeans.
"Neurological disorders like epilepsy are major contributors to global disease challenges," said Jacopo Andreose, Chief Executive Officer of Angelini Pharma. "Many people living with epilepsy are still unable to reach seizure control despite combination treatment of several anti-seizure medications. Our work on SVG105 will be motivated by the ambition to bring much-needed solutions to people living with brain health conditions across the world."
Expanding Brain Health Portfolio
This agreement represents the latest in a series of strategic partnerships that have strengthened Angelini Pharma's brain health pipeline over the past two years. In May 2025, the company announced a collaboration with GRIN Therapeutics Inc. for radiprodil, an investigational drug being studied in multiple rare genetic epilepsies and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Earlier that month, Angelini Pharma signed an asset purchase agreement for OmniAb's preclinical asset RO'599, another investigational compound with broad potential for brain health diseases. Previous partnerships include collaborations with Cureverse, a Korean spin-off developing small molecules with CNS applications, and JCR Pharmaceuticals, which has developed breakthrough blood-brain barrier technology based on a transferrin receptor mechanism.
These strategic acquisitions have diversified Angelini Pharma's brain health pipeline to include innovative small molecule compounds, biologics, and antisense oligonucleotides, representing modern therapeutic modalities across the spectrum of neurological disorders.
Clinical Development Outlook
Cheolwon Park, Chief Executive Officer at Sovargen, expressed confidence in the partnership's potential: "Our research so far demonstrates great potential for SVG105 to transform the treatment landscape in brain health and we are confident that Angelini Pharma's strong therapeutic expertise will propel our research further and bring us closer to identifying new treatment options for patients in need."
Founded in 2018, Sovargen has positioned itself as a pioneer in treatments for intractable brain diseases caused by somatic mutations. The company's focus on conditions like focal cortical dysplasia type II, hemimegalencephaly, and brain tumors addresses largely unaddressed therapeutic areas with significant clinical need.
The collaboration leverages Angelini Pharma's established presence in brain health, including mental health and epilepsy, with operations in 20 countries and products marketed in over 70 countries through strategic alliances. The company's sustained investment in brain health research and development positions it to advance SVG105 through clinical development and potential commercialization.
