Angelini Pharma strikes $550M+ deal to boost brain health drug pipeline

Italy’s Angelini Pharma signed a $550M+ licensing agreement with South Korea’s Sovargen for rights to SVG1051, a preclinical antisense oligonucleotide targeting neurological and mental health conditions.

Why it matters: This deal strengthens Angelini’s growing neuroscience portfolio, addressing major unmet needs in conditions like drug-resistant epilepsy, where many patients still struggle with seizure control.

Backstory: Angelini will co-develop SVG1051 through preclinical stages and may later lead its clinical trials and commercialization, excluding rights in Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Sovargen will receive an upfront payment, up to $550M in milestones, and royalties.

Zoom in: SVG1051 targets mTOR pathways, a validated mechanism in neurological disorders like epilepsy. Despite this mechanism, the compound is still in the preclinical stage and so has not yet been tested in humans.

Big picture: This is part of Angelini’s broader strategy to become a key player in brain health. The company has inked several neuroscience-focused deals in recent years, including a $360M pact with Cureverse and collaborations with JCR Pharmaceuticals, OmniAb, and Grin Therapeutics.