FunPep entered into a worldwide license agreement with Shionogi & Co., Ltd. for the functional peptide “SR-0379” and was subsequently granted an option agreement. It also entered into an option agreement for worldwide development and commercialization rights to “FPP004X,” an anti-IgE peptide for a pollen allergy vaccine.
FunPep entered into a worldwide license agreement with Shionogi & Co., Ltd. for SR-0379 and established an option agreement at the same time. Although the option agreement for joint research related to IL-17A between FunPep and Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. ended in October 2025, Shionogi & Co., Ltd. is currently FunPep’s largest shareholder, with an ownership interest of 5.29% as of the end of June 2026.
More recently, an option agreement was entered into for worldwide exclusive development and commercialization rights to “FPP004X,” an anti-IgE antibody-inducing peptide for a pollen allergy vaccine, along with a capital and business alliance. FunPep has indicated its policy of advancing a revenue model using its drug discovery platform.
The company’s business model involves conducting the first half of Phase 2 clinical trials in-house and then entering into license agreements with pharmaceutical companies for the second half. The model generates upfront payments, milestone payments and royalties after product launch, and antibody-inducing peptides are considered relatively likely to lead to license agreements at an early stage.
The duration of clinical trials varies by disease, but generally is expected to be approximately 3 to 7 years across Phases 1 to 3. If the results are favorable, the review period through approval and launch is expected to be approximately one year. The company continues to incur losses because its products are still in development, but is considered to have potential to achieve profitability if post-launch sales grow to a certain scale.