France-based pharmaceutical company Servier has acquired KER-0193, a potential treatment for Fragile X syndrome, from Kaerus Bioscience.
Under the terms of the deal, Kaerus will receive an upfront payment and potential commercial earn-out payments, totalling up to $450m.
Kaerus is a UK-based biopharmaceutical company co-founded by Medicxi in 2016 to develop treatments for rare genetic diseases of neurodevelopment.
The company has developed KER-0193 and completed a Phase 1 clinical trial confirming its safety and efficacy.
KER-0193, which targets BK channel (potassium channel) dysfunction, has shown promise in improving symptoms related to Fragile X syndrome in preclinical studies.
Kaerus CEO Robert Ring said: “We strongly believe in the therapeutic potential of KER-0193 in Fragile X syndrome. Servier’s firm commitment to neurology and global capabilities make it the ideal partner to further develop KER-0193 for patients worldwide.”
Servier said that the deal aligns with its strategy to bolster its neurology pipeline by 2030. The company plans to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial of the drug candidate in 2026 across Europe and the US.
KER-0193 has received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) orphan drug and rare paediatric drug designations.
The orally bioavailable small molecule aims to address the underlying genetic causes of the Fragile X syndrome, the prevalent form of autism spectrum disorder.
Servier research and development executive vice-president Claude Bertrand said: “KER-0193 is Servier’s first asset acquisition in neurology and so marks a significant milestone in our 2030 strategy, reinforcing our long-term commitment to establishing a leading neurology franchise focused on rare diseases.
“It reflects our determination to build a differentiated pipeline of innovative therapies for patients with underserved needs.
“We are particularly excited to advance KER-0193 as we believe it holds meaningful promise for patients living with Fragile X syndrome, a condition for which no approved treatment options exist today.”
In March this year, Servier signed a licensing agreement with Black Diamond Therapeutics for BDTX-4933, its investigational targeted therapy for solid tumours.
The deal includes an upfront payment of $70m, with the potential for up to $710m in development and commercial milestone payments.
Black Diamond will also be entitled to receive tiered royalties on global net sales.
