- AOP Health, a global pharmaceutical enterprise group focused on integrated therapies for rare diseases and critical care, announced a strategic partnership with VRG Therapeutics, an AI-driven developer for miniproteins based in Budapest. The collaboration aims to advance a novel Kv1.3 potassium channel inhibitor, a key regulator of immune cell activity, for use in inflammation and immunology (I&I) indications.

The collaboration centers on a next-generation miniprotein candidate discovered using VRG Therapeutics’ AI-MPRO platform, an AI-based system to design and test new miniproteins.  This platform combines artificial intelligence-driven protein design with experimental validation to generate highly selective, target-specific miniproteins.
The partners will focus on generating additional preclinical proof-of-concept data in selected indications to support progression towards first-in-human studies.

Targeting Kv1.3 with a Novel Therapeutic Approach
Kv1.3 is a clinically validated target that plays a critical role in the regulation of pathogenic immune cells in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Selective inhibition of Kv1.3 holds significant promise in modulating immune responses that drive disease while reducing side effects. The partners leverage the exceptional selectivity and precision of the miniprotein modality to overcome the limitations of previous advancements in the Kv1.3 field.

Combining Platform Innovation with Clinical Development Expertise
The partnership brings together VRG Therapeutics’ AI-driven miniprotein discovery capabilities with AOP Health’s 30 years of experience in developing therapies for indications in areas of high unmet medical need.
For AOP Health, the agreement marks an expansion of its external R&D activities into a complex and scientifically active area of immunology. For VRG Therapeutics, the collaboration represents an important validation of its AI-MPRO platform and supports the advancement of its technology toward clinical application.  

“VRG’s AI-MPRO platform has demonstrated the ability to generate highly selective candidates against complex biological targets,” said Martin Steinhart, CEO of AOP Health Group. “We see strong potential in targeting Kv1.3 for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and look forward to advancing this program toward clinical evaluation.”

“With its established development capabilities and strong track record in addressing unmet medical needs, AOP Health is an ideal partner for this program.” commented Zalán Péterfi, Chairman of the Board and Managing Director at VRG Therapeutics. “Advancing together the Kv1.3 program, we intend to expand our partnership to fully exploit the platform potential.”