ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and KinoPharma, Inc. both based in Tokyo, announced on January 14 that they have entered into an option agreement for an exclusive license for the development and commercialization of a candidate drug for cervical dysplasia under preclinical development by KinoPharma. Under the agreement, ASKA will obtain a right to exercise an option to jointly develop with KinoPharma and to exclusively sell the drug in Japan, and KinoPharma will receive consideration for the Option Agreement followed by an upfront payment and milestone payments of the exclusive license from ASKA. Cervical dysplasia is a preliminary stage of cervical cancer, and its causes are predominantly due to persistent infections of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in the cervix. ASKA is focusing on the development of pharmaceuticals for obstetric and gynecological diseases. By partnering with KinoPharma developing novel small molecule drugs which suppress the replication of various viruses including HPV, ASKA aims to meet medical needs by developing a first-in-class treatment for cervical dysplasia which has become a societal issue with an increased morbidity rate, especially among young women.