RONA Therapeutics and Keymed Bio Announce Collaboration to Develop First-in-Class siRNA Therapeutic for Chronic Nephritis

Jointly Develop First-in-Class siRNA Drug, Expected to Enter Clinical Stage in the First Half of 2024

ShanghaiMay 15, 2023/PR Newswire/ -- Rona TherapeuticsAnd Kang Nuoya Biomedical Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. ("Kang Nuoya", Stock Code: 02162 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange)Today, a collaboration was announced to jointly develop a first-in-class siRNA drug for the treatment of chronic nephritis (a severe kidney disease). This collaboration will leverage the scientific and technological expertise of both companies and will be built on Rona Therapeutics' proprietary nucleic acid drug development platform targeting liver and extrahepatic tissues. By combining the complementary strengths of both parties, they will jointly explore more possibilities in the field of chronic nephritis.

According to the terms of the collaboration, Rona Therapeutics will use its proprietary RAZOR™ platform to discover and identify siRNA lead compounds targeting new pathways associated with chronic glomerulonephritis, while Kang Nuoya Biomedical Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. will contribute clinical research and translational medicine expertise and capabilities. Both parties have agreed to further co-develop and commercialize global therapeutic candidates emerging from these discovery efforts. This project is expected to enter the clinical stage in the first half of 2024.

"Delighted to collaborate with Rona Therapeutics,"Founder, Chairman and CEO of Kang Nuoya Biomedical Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd.Dr. Chen Bo said, "Kang Nuoya Biomedical Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. always focuses on urgent and unmet clinical needs, and is committed to providing patients with high-quality and affordable innovative therapies. We look forward to being empowered by the groundbreaking next-generation siRNA platform technology of Rona Therapeutics, combined with Kang Nuoya's advanced biological expertise, to jointly promote the research and development of innovative drugs and explore more potential targets."

"We are very excited to partner with Kang Nuoya to discover and develop transformative nucleic acid drug therapies for patients worldwide," said Stella SHI, founder and CEO of Rona Therapeutics. "The next-generation siRNA platform technology with proprietary intellectual property from Rona Therapeutics complements Kang Nuoya's advanced biological expertise. The high strategic alignment between the two parties will accelerate the development of first-in-class siRNA therapeutic drugs targeting serious unmet medical needs such as chronic glomerulonephritis."

Chronic nephritis is a major cause of renal impairment, accounting for 25%-30% of all end-stage renal disease cases. Common forms of primary chronic nephritis include IgA nephropathy (global prevalence of 2.5 cases per 100,000 people, with higher prevalence in Asian populations), lupus nephritis (prevalence of 8-180 cases per 100,000 people), membranous nephropathy (prevalence of 8-10 cases per million people), and others. Currently, there are very limited approved drugs for treating this condition, and there is an urgent need for more innovative therapeutic options.

About Rona Therapeutics

Rona Therapeutics is a leading nucleic acid innovation pharmaceutical platform company dedicated to discovering and developing modular and programmable nucleic acid drugs to benefit patients worldwide. Backed by blue-chip investors, Rona Therapeutics has developed its proprietary RAZOR™ platform to research and develop differentiated siRNA drug molecules from next-generation chemical modifications and novel biological insights. Rona Therapeutics collaborates with partners to advance transformative nucleic acid drugs into clinical trials in the following areas: metabolic syndrome, kidney disease, central nervous system, and ocular diseases. For more information, please visitwww.ronatherapeutics.com。

About Kang Nuoya

Kang Nuoya (HKEX: 02162) is committed to innovation and focuses on research and development, building a diversified and differentiated product pipeline in the fields of autoimmune diseases and oncology, aiming to provide patients with more high-quality and affordable innovative therapies. Kang Nuoya possesses efficient integrated internal development and production capabilities, incorporating a unified self-developed technology platform, with innovation capabilities spanning the entire industry chain. The company has research, development, and clinical drug production bases in Chengdu, Shanghai, and Beijing. For more information, please visitwww.keymedbio.com。