Vision Development & Milestones

◉ Vision

PharmaSaga  was established on January 25, 2021, as a spin-off startup from Academia Sinica. Our vision is to develop PS1, the world's first small-molecule drug with a novel mechanism for diabetes, which holds the potential to reverse the disease. Our goal is to offer patients a definitive, long-term therapeutic solution, thereby enhancing the welfare of all humanity.

Our development strategy is based on the NRDO (No Research, Development Only) model. We secure the most critical assets—patent rights and the core team—while outsourcing other required aspects of the drug development process to external professional vendors. Our aim is to achieve each milestone as efficiently as possible with minimal resources.

Our profit model involves developing the new drug to late-stage clinical trials, then out-licensing it to a major international pharmaceutical company to secure milestone payments and derivative royalties. The resulting cash flow will be used to develop other promising drugs and indications.

Diabetes is a multi-organ, multi-pathway disease, with pancreatic islet cell failure being one of the main causes. None of the seven existing major classes of anti-diabetic drugs can prevent islet cell failure, leaving late-stage patients reliant on insulin injections. Our target is the development of PS1, a Protein Disulfide Isomerase (Pdia4) inhibitor, as a novel small-molecule drug for the treatment and reversal of diabetes. Pdia4 is primarily expressed in islet cells; excess nutrition increases its expression, leading to a rise in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in islet cells, causing their failure and the onset of diabetes. The Pdia4 inhibitor, PS1, can reduce ROS in islet cells, effectively suppressing islet cell failure and achieving the effect of reversing diabetes. Two patents for this technology have been granted domestically and internationally. The potential market for the PS1 new drug is estimated to be around US $7.5 billion.

The patent technology originated from Dr. Wen-Ching Yang at Academia Sinica, and the product PS1 is currently in preclinical testing. PharmaSaga Biomedical is collaborating with Dr. Yang's team on short-, medium-, and long-term plans to conduct PS1's clinical trials for diabetes and obtain drug approval. Since foundational research is paramount in new drug development for resolving issues encountered in clinical trials, this cooperation with Dr. Yang—an international pioneer in Pdia4 research—will accelerate the clinical development of PS1. The success of PS1 is expected to reduce patient suffering and mortality, revitalize the domestic new drug industry, and demonstrate international competitiveness.