South Korean biotech firms partner to develop a new oral therapy targeting two key biological drivers of Parkinson's

South Korean drug developers 1ST Biotherapeutics and SK Biopharmaceuticals have joined forces in a major agreement to develop an experimental pill named 1ST-104, aiming to tackle the underlying biology of Parkinson's in a fresh way. Announced in September 2026, the global licensing and investment deal is worth up to 314.8 million dollars in development milestones, alongside an immediate equity investment of 2.2 million dollars to cement the partnership. Creating effective treatments for Parkinson's has long presented researchers with two steep hurdles: getting medicine across the protective barrier that shields the brain, and switching off troublesome proteins without harming healthy organs elsewhere. Many current therapies focus on managing everyday symptoms by topping up dopamine levels. 1ST-104 belongs to a newer generation of experimental therapies designed to step directly into the cellular machinery of the brain. The drug works by using a dual strategy, shutting down two specific biological targets at the same time: LRRK2 and c-Abl. In healthy cells, these proteins act like internal controllers, helping manage basic housekeeping and cellular stress. In Parkinson's, however, overactive versions of these proteins can disrupt cellular cleanup systems and accelerate damage to vulnerable nerve cells. Targeting LRRK2 is one of the most closely watched areas of neurodegenerative research, but the journey has not been straightforward. Earlier experimental compounds, known as Type 1 inhibitors, ran into safety worries during laboratory testing because they occasionally caused unwanted changes in lung tissue. To steer around this issue, researchers at 1ST Biotherapeutics designed 1ST-104 as a Type 2 inhibitor. This alternative design latches onto the target in a different way, allowing it to act with greater precision, avoid the lung complications seen in older attempts, and still cross cleanly into brain tissue. The science behind the molecule has already drawn international interest. 1ST Biotherapeutics has collaborated within the LRRK2 Investigative Therapeutics Exchange, a global scientific consortium supported by The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Taking an early laboratory discovery all the way through international clinical testing requires substantial resources, which is where SK Biopharmaceuticals steps in. While 1ST Biotherapeutics specialised in designing the molecule, SK Biopharmaceuticals brings established experience in running international clinical trials and bringing nervous system treatments to global markets. The agreement sets the stage for the compound to advance into formal clinical development. While there is still a thorough testing process ahead before the therapy could reach the clinic, the collaboration brings meaningful financial backing and specialised expertise to an innovative approach that tackles two biological culprits at once.