SK Biopharm Signs $795 Million Epilepsy Drug Deal
SK Biopharmaceuticals is strengthening its epilepsy drug pipeline with a $400 million upfront payment, the largest upfront payment ever made in a technology licensing deal by a South Korean pharmaceutical or biotech company. The move will give the company a second innovative drug to sell directly in
SK Biopharmaceuticals has signed a $795 million deal with U.S.-based Biohaven Bioscience for the exclusive worldwide rights to Opakalim (BHV-7000), an epilepsy drug candidate, and a Kv7 discovery platform. The agreement, worth up to $795 million, includes a $400 million upfront payment, making it the largest upfront payment ever made by a South Korean pharmaceutical or biotech company in a technology licensing deal.
The drug, a selective Kv7.2/7.3 potassium channel activator, is currently in global Phase 2/3 trials for focal-onset seizures. SK Biopharm expects Opakalim to launch in the U.S. in 2029 and sees it as a potential blockbuster drug, reducing its reliance on its self-developed Xcopri and supporting its push to become a global biopharma company.
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