{
  "id": 2280373,
  "title": "Chong Kun Dang Signs KIO-301 Deal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/chong-kun-dang-signs-kio-301-deal",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-21T02:42:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BusinessKorea",
    "slug": "businesskorea",
    "url": "https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=275242"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chong Kun Dang has partnered with US pharmaceutical company Kiora Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize a new drug candidate, KIO-301, for the treatment of retinal diseases. This agreement, signed on August 21, will enable Chong Kun Dang to handle every aspect of the drug's clinical development, approval, and sales within South Korea. Kiora Pharmaceuticals will be compensated through milestone payments at each development stage and royalties on future sales.\n\nKIO-301 is a small molecule drug designed to address retinitis pigmentosa, a rare inherited retinal disease affecting more than 10,000 patients in South Korea. Unlike current treatments, KIO-301 works by restoring photosensing functions to remaining retinal ganglion cells, even after photoreceptors have degenerated and led to vision loss. This unique approach allows KIO-301 to be effective regardless of specific genetic mutations, potentially expanding its use for other inherited retinal diseases such as choroideremia or Stargardt disease.\n\nChong Kun Dang plans to expedite the domestic clinical and approval processes, leveraging its established expertise in ophthalmology. Kiora Pharmaceuticals, known for small molecule treatments targeting retinal diseases, is also developing KIO-104 for macular edema, a condition caused by retinal inflammation. Through this collaboration, Kiora has created a global commercialization network encompassing South Korea, the United States, Europe, Japan, and China.\n\nChong Kun Dang CEO Kim Young-joo emphasized that KIO-301 represents a differentiated mechanism, stating, \"We will work closely with global partners to provide new treatment opportunities for domestic patients.\" Presently, KIO-301 is progressing through global clinical stages, and Chong Kun Dang intends to establish a specific development roadmap for its introduction in South Korea.",
  "summary": "Chong Kun Dang has joined hands with a US pharmaceutical company to treat a rare inherited retinal disease estimated to affect more than 10,000 patients in South Korea.Chong Kun Dang signed a licensing agreement on August 21 with Kiora Pharmaceuticals, a US pharmaceutical company specializing in oph",
  "key_points": [
    "Chong Kun Dang partners with Kiora Pharmaceuticals for KIO-301 development.",
    "KIO-301 targets retinitis pigmentosa, affecting over 10,000 South Koreans.",
    "Collaboration aims to expedite domestic clinical and approval processes."
  ],
  "editors_take": "This partnership enables Chong Kun Dang to expand its ophthalmology offerings in South Korea, while Kiora Pharmaceuticals gains a broader global commercialization network for KIO-301 through milestone payments and royalties.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}