Shaperon Introduces AI-Developed Alopecia Areata Drug Candidate.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass & RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. & SEOUL, South Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hudson Therapeutics, a leading innovator in therapeutic solutions and a US subsidiary of Shaperon, announced Shaperon’s entry into the $9.58 billion global market for alopecia areata treatment. This significant development follows a breakthrough in identifying a candidate drug for alopecia areata through Shaperon’s proprietary AI-based drug development platform, AIDEN. The candidate drug has demonstrated over 100 times greater anti-inflammatory efficacy compared to existing therapies and has shown exceptional performance in preclinical studies.

Based on these promising results, Shaperon plans to discuss translational research with key opinion leaders (KOLs) in the field of alopecia areata at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) meeting, scheduled from September 25th to 28th in Amsterdam. Additionally, they will explore a small-scale preclinical trial to evaluate the drug’s efficacy using alopecia areata patient tissue grafted onto mice.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune cells abnormally attack hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. Despite this, the exact cause and mechanism of alopecia areata remain unclear, making it one of the most challenging diseases to treat. Current therapies involve a limited number of immune-suppressing drugs, which require regular blood monitoring due to side effects like increased infection risk and cardiovascular complications.

“At this year’s European Dermatology Congress, we will accelerate discussions on our alopecia areata treatment alongside our atopic dermatitis drug, engaging global experts to expedite development,” said Dr. Seung-Yong Seong, CEO of Shaperon. “This will bring a new paradigm to the limited treatment options currently available for alopecia areata.”

He added, “The significance of this drug candidate lies in the fact that it’s the first drug discovered using Shaperon’s proprietary AI platform, AIDEN. Over the past decade, Shaperon has developed an anti-inflammatory drug targeting ‘GPCR19,’ and the pharmacological and toxicological data from hundreds of drug candidates were used to train AIDEN. Within 6 months, AIDEN successfully predicted the structure of a more effective and safer drug. This breakthrough, which typically takes more than 2 years, demonstrates the potential for AI-driven drug discovery. Following this success, we aim to apply AI technology to a broad range of inflammatory diseases and strengthen our early-stage licensing strategies.”

“This discovery marks a major milestone for us,” said Janice Marie McCourt, CEO of Hudson Therapeutics. “It is the first successful drug candidate developed using Shaperon’s AI platform, AIDEN, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this innovative technology. Our focus is now on moving quickly into the next stages of development and clinical trials, while actively exploring global out-licensing opportunities. By working with strategic partners worldwide, we aim to bring this potentially transformative treatment to patients who currently have limited options, establishing a new standard in alopecia areata care.”

Hudson Therapeutics and Shaperon will continue advancing global licensing strategies and early-stage collaborations, positioning the company as a leader in innovation and market growth within the autoimmune and inflammatory disease sectors.

According to the global market research agency ‘The Data Bridge Market Research’, the global market size of Alopecia Areata Treatment is expected to grow from about $9.58 billion in 2024 to $17.93 billion in 2031, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.93%.

ABOUT SHAPERON

Shaperon is a clinical stage biotech company developing novel inflammasome inhibitors. Its unique mechanism of action of GPCR19-P2X7 modulation suppresses a broad spectrum of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, and TNF-α by controlling both priming and activation phase of inflammasome, whereas conventional approaches are designed to suppress only the activation phase. With this unique and novel modality which is best suited to address complex immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, Shaperon is currently developing multiple clinical programs in atopic dermatitis, Alzheimer’s disease, and COVID 19 pneumonia in addition to pre-clinical pipeline assets, focused in MASH and obesity therapeutic areas.

ABOUT Hudson Therapeutics

Hudson Therapeutics, a US subsidiary of Shaperon was founded and incorporated in the US in 2023 to lead global clinical trials, investor relations, commercial strategy, and business development of assets from Shaperon. Hudson also plans to develop Shaperon’s early-stage assets in the future.

Contacts

Ellie Jung, Chief Communications and Administrative Officer

Email: ellie@hudsontherapeutics.com