Formosa Pharmaceuticals Grants Rxilient Rights to New Ophthalmic Drug
Taiwan-based Formosa Pharmaceuticals (6838.TW) has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Singapore-headquartered Rxilient Medical Pte. Ltd., granting the company commercialization rights for clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension, 0.05% (APP13007), across key Southeast Asian markets. The deal covers Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, giving Rxilient access to a fast-growing region with high unmet needs in post-operative eye care. The agreement includes upfront payments as well as regulatory and sales milestone opportunities.
APP13007 is a novel ophthalmic suspension developed using Formosa Pharma’s proprietary APNT® nanoparticle formulation platform. Its active ingredient, clobetasol propionate, is a superpotent corticosteroid formulated to treat inflammation and pain following ocular surgery. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the product in 2024, recognizing its ability to offer strong therapeutic results through a simple dosing schedule — just two drops a day for 14 days.
Clinical results and real-world surgeon feedback have helped position APP13007 as a promising therapy for post-surgical eye care. In a U.S. survey of 100 ophthalmic surgeons, respondents highlighted the drug’s rapid ability to relieve pain, with nearly 80% of patients reporting they were pain-free within four days of surgery. Surgeons also noted the low incidence of adverse events, reported at under 2%, as a major factor supporting its adoption. With an estimated 1 million ocular surgeries performed annually across the licensed ASEAN markets — and year-over-year growth expected — demand for effective, convenient post-operative treatments is anticipated to rise.
Formosa Pharmaceuticals President and CEO Erick Co said the partnership will accelerate access to APP13007 in regions where ophthalmic care needs are expanding quickly. “We are pleased to establish this partnership with Rxilient, a prominent and growing regional corporation with global experience,” Co said. “We are confident that Rxilient’s foundation, network, and commitment to innovative medicines will bring APP13007 to patients recovering from ocular surgery.”
Rxilient Medical, which has been expanding its footprint across Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, focuses on bringing advanced ophthalmic therapies to markets with substantial demand for modern eye-care solutions. CEO Lawrence He said the company welcomes the opportunity to introduce a U.S.-approved innovation to the region. “At Rxilient, we strive to offer high-quality therapies to patients in our region to serve their unmet needs,” he said. “We are pleased to partner with Formosa and bring APP13007 to our markets and provide solutions to patients recovering from ocular surgery.”
The agreement provides both companies with a path to capitalize on rising surgical volumes, increasing patient awareness, and the need for improved post-operative outcomes. With Rxilient’s regional expertise and Formosa’s technology-driven product innovation, the partnership positions APP13007 to become a leading therapeutic option in Southeast Asia’s ophthalmology sector.