Rani Therapeutics, Celltrion partner for development of RT-111

Rani Therapeutics announced that it has partnered with Celltrion for the development of RT-111, an orally administered ustekinumab biosimilar. Under a license and supply agreement, Celltrion will exclusively supply to Rani the ustekinumab biosimilar drug substance required for RT-111. Rani is granted an exclusive license to use CT-P43 in the development and commercialization of RT-111, and Celltrion is granted a right of first negotiation to acquire worldwide rights to RT-111 following a Phase 1 clinical trial. Rani has developed an oral delivery technology known as the RaniPill capsule, which is intended to replace subcutaneous or intravenous injection of biologics and drugs with oral dosing. The RaniPill capsule is designed to administer biologics and drugs with bioavailability comparable to subcutaneous injection. "We are delighted to be partnering with Celltrion, a leader in biosimilars and biologics manufacturing, on RT-111. This agreement is a validation of our RaniPill oral drug delivery technology, which has already performed well in two separate Phase 1 trials of RT-101 and RT-102, respectively," said Talat Imran, CEO of Rani. "We value Celltrion as the exclusive provider of ustekinumab biosimilar for our RT-111 program and look forward to sharing the results of our study in due course, and potentially broadening our partnership with Celltrion."