Darnatein, a wholly-owned subsidiary of OSR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSRH), today announces that it has successfully secured an additional international patent for its protein-based osteoarthritis treatment technology, marking a significant step in its expansion into the global market.

Activin/BMP7 Chimera Protein Technology Registered in China

Darnatein has officially registered a patent with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) for the core technology behind its break-through disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMOAD) lead drug candidate, DRT-101. Following the national registration of the patent in South Korea in November last year, this marks the company's first successful international patent registration as part of its efforts to secure global intellectual property rights through the PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) route in key regions such as the EU, the United States, and China.

The technology basis is an AI-enhanced innovative protein structure generator designed to provide therapeutics that overcome the current limitations of standard of care treatment in osteoarthritis—a condition for which only symptom management options currently exist. This technology represents a wholly new approach to protein design and is expected to address the underlying causes of disease. This treatment approach may significantly improve treatment outcomes not only for osteoarthritis but also for a wide range of other musculoskeletal disorders.

In particular, the DRT-101 chimeric protein, which recombines the natural BMP7 and Activin proteins into a wholly novel structure, has already been shown to enhance both therapeutic efficacy and safety in vivo, in studies conducted between 2020 and 2024 at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.

Senyon Choe, Darnatein Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The protein design technology now also patented in China has been developed over years from a core platform strategy to the current technology with the potential to revolutionize the global OA treatment market. Securing intellectual property rights in China, one of the largest markets in the world, is a crucial stepping-stone for our global expansion."

Constance Höfer, Chief Scientific Officer of OSR Holdings, stated, "Darnatein's groundbreaking technology represents a wholly new, AI-enhanced approach to therapeutic protein design. The successful patent registration in China underscores the novelty and relevance of this technology to the development of better treatment options for OA patients worldwide."

Global Technological Competitiveness and Licensing Potential

The osteoarthritis treatment market continues to grow, due to globally aging populations. In 2023, the market size reached approximately USD 8.9 billion and is projected to grow at an average annual rate of about 7%, reaching approximately USD 16.1 billion by 2032. China is experiencing rapid population aging and a surge in osteoarthritis cases, making it a highly promising market.

Industry experts have remarked, "Darnatein's Activin/BMP7 chimera technology offers a superior profile to be developed into a potential DMOAD, or disease-modifying OA drug, compared to existing standard of care for osteoarthritis treatments," adding, "Big Pharma is looking for novel treatments that can slow, stop, or even reverse the cartilage degeneration and joint damage that occurs with OA. On this backdrop, Darnatein's chimeric protein approach represents a paradigm shift away from only symptom relief (e.g. painkillers and anti-inflammatories) to treatment options targeting the underlying pathobiology of OA"

Darnatein is currently completing preclinical studies with DRT-101, its degenerative OA treatment candidate, with the goal to initiate Phase 1 clinical trials later this year.