DaRui Bio Announces Exclusive Licensing Agreement with Sanofi for Small Oligonucleotide Pipeline and Technology Platform

ShanghaiJuly 25, 2022PR Newswire -- Rona Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. ("Rona Therapeutics"), a platform company focused on the research, development, and production of nucleic acid drugs, announced today that it has obtained the global exclusive license for Sanofi's small nucleic acid drug platform, including chemical modifications and delivery platforms, as well as preclinical candidates targeting four undisclosed targets. This will enable Rona Therapeutics to significantly expand and accelerate the application of its small nucleic acid drug pipeline in liver and non-liver therapeutic areas. The technology platform provided by Sanofi strategically enhances Rona Therapeutics' leading position in oligonucleotide modification, delivery, and nucleic acid biology within this rapidly growing field. Additionally, Sanofi has obtained the exclusive right to purchase neurology and muscular candidates developed on the Rona platform outside of mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau (collectively referred to as "Greater China").

According to the agreement, Rona Therapeutics has also obtained the rights to further develop, manufacture, and commercialize candidate drugs based on four preclinical liver-targeting programs. Sanofi's small nucleic acid drug platform, based on novel nucleotide analogs and conjugated delivery carriers, has demonstrated enhanced stability, longer-lasting in vivo pharmacological efficacy, and therapeutic potential for gene silencing across various tissue types. "Rona Therapeutics plans to rapidly advance nucleic acid drugs in metabolic, neurological, and ophthalmic diseases, further expanding the potential of small nucleic acid drug therapies," said Stella SHI, CEO of Rona Therapeutics. "We are delighted to acquire product and platform licensing rights from Sanofi to bring transformative nucleic acid drugs to patients worldwide."

According to the terms of the agreement, Rona Therapeutics will pay an upfront fee to Sanofi and further pay royalties based on research and development milestones, commercial milestones, and net sales of the product.