KHON2bTREAT · Late Clinical Development of KH176: an innovative orphan drug to reach mitochondrial disease patients & market

Mitochondrial diseases are chronic progressive disorders for which no cure exists, affecting approximately 250,000 patients worldwide. KH176 is a proprietary small molecule designed by the Dutch SME Khondrion BV to treat a large group of rare mitochondrial and related diseases. With KH176, a new redox-modulator, Khondrion aims to stall disease progression and revert clinical complaints in mitochondrial diseases; it corrects cellular consequences of mitochondrial dysfunction and has broad market potential. Khondrion’s management has >25 years experience in mitochondrial medicine, patient care and drug development, and is supported by highly experienced entrepreneurs. Since 2012, Khondrion completed preclinical, Phase 1&2a clinical, EMA&FDA orphan drug designation providing market exclusivity, and has a strong patent portfolio. Khondrion operates in a small but highly lucrative niche market. The addressable market for KH176 is 50,000-250,000 mitochondrial disease patients in Europe&US. Base-case cumulative revenue on KH176 is expected €35M by 2024, a return of >10 times this grant. Worldwide orphan drug sales are to increase at 11% CAGR to $209b in 2022; orphan drugs are projected to account for 21.4% of worldwide prescription sales by 2022 (excl. generics) from 6% in 2000. Worldwide, Khondrion is one of few SMEs devoted to develop a drug for mitochondrial diseases. Khondrion follows fast, risk-reduced development for KH176; first market approval in adult patients (MELAS/MIDD), entering expedited authorization for other mitochondrial diseases. As spin-out, Khondrion aims licensing KH176 for major indications (preclinical data on KH176 in genetic forms of Parkinson’s completed). Financing of this KHON2bTREAT project by the EIC SME instrument Phase 2 will enable Khondrion to perform the dose-finding clinical trial (Phase 2b) on KH176 in its patient population, reaching essential milestones for investor/co-development financing of the Phase 3 trial for market approval.