ADQ’s Arcera, South Korea’s AriBio partner on Alzheimer’s drug: ADQ-owned pharma firm Acino, part of ADQ’s life sciences holding company Arcera, signed exclusive licensing and supply agreements with South Korean biopharma firm AriBio for AR1001, a drug for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, according to a joint statement (pdf). The agreement is valued at up to USD 600 mn, tied to development and commercialization milestones.

SOUND SMART- AR1001 is a once-daily phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor currently in a global phase 3 clinical trial (POLARIS-AD), with key findings expected in 1H 2026. It is an investigational oral therapy, but it has not yet been approved by regulatory authorities.

The terms: Arcera will hold exclusive commercial rights in Latin America, the Middle East, Southern Africa, Ukraine, and parts of Eurasia, while AriBio will oversee manufacturing and distribution. The agreement was facilitated by the Korea Development Bank as part of Seoul’s broader push to grow its biohealth sector.

REFRESHER- Arcera was launched by ADQ in April 2024 as a global life sciences holding company for three of its healthcare assets — Switzerland-based Acino, Turkey’s Birgi Mefar Group, and Egypt’s Amoun. Based in Abu Dhabi, Arcera aims to double revenue over five years through M&As and partnerships. The new agreement deepens Arcera’s neuroscience pipeline, with CEO Isabel Afonso saying it supports access to “novel therapies in regions with significant unmet medical needs.”

Arcera and AriBio have history: The agreement follows an MoU signed in March 2025 to explore joint R&D and strategic investment windows.

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