Lilly and MiNA Therapeutics Announce $1.25 Billion saRNA Research Collaboration to Develop Innovative Therapies

May 12, 2021 /Bio ValleyBIOON/ --Eli Lilly(Eli Lilly) and RNA activation therapy pioneer MiNA Therapeutics recently announced a global research collaboration to develop novel drug candidates using MiNA’s proprietary small activating RNA (saRNA) technology platform.

RNA activation (RNAa) is an RNA-mediated regulatory mechanism that activates the expression of target genes at the transcriptional level. Small activating RNAs (saRNAs), which are capable of activating gene transcription, are short double-stranded oligonucleotides with a chemical structure similar to that of small interfering RNA (siRNA) are similar, but the effects are opposite, acting through a completely different RNA activation (RNAa) mechanism.saRNAs recruit endogenous transcription complexes to target genes, leading to increased mRNA expression and upregulation of the target protein.

MiNA Therapeutics, founded in 2008 and headquartered in London, UK, is the world’s first company to develop saRNA therapeutics.Leveraging the intrinsic mechanisms of gene activation, saRNA therapy is a revolutionary novel drug that helps restore normal cellular function in patients.Currently, MiNA is advancing a cancer- andHeredityDisease-focused proprietary pipeline, while collaborating with leading pharmaceutical companies to apply its technology platform across a broad range of therapeutic areas.

MiNA Therapeutics has developed a robustBioinformaticsplatform to design saRNAs for target gene activation. These saRNA sequences can recognize elements upstream of the mRNA transcription start site and downstream of the polyA site. Furthermore, this platform does not rely on the target geneNon-coding RNAComplexity-specific knowledge. saRNA targets exhibit considerable flexibility, not only enabling the upregulation of intracellular or secreted proteins for therapeutic purposes, but also having been demonstrated to enhance naturally expressed andEpigeneticsProtein Levels of the Silenced Target.

Leveraging its proprietary RNA activation technology, the company is expanding the possibilities of RNA-based therapeutics. Previously, the company has partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim,AstraZeneca, and pharmaceutical companies such as Servier have established research collaborations in a range of disease areas.

Under the terms of the agreement, MiNA will leverage its saRNA platform to research up to five targets selected by Eli Lilly, spanning Eli Lilly’s key therapeutic areas.Eli Lillywill be responsible for the preclinical and clinical development of candidate drugs, and retain exclusive commercialization rights to any products arising from the collaboration. MiNA will receive a $25 million upfront payment and is eligible for potential development and commercialization milestones totaling up to $245 million per target, as well as tiered royalties in the low single-digit to low double-digit percentages on sales of medicines resulting from the collaboration. This brings the total value of the collaboration to $1.25 billion.

Dr. Andrew C. Adams, Vice President of New Therapeutic Modalities at Eli Lilly, stated, “Small activating RNA (saRNA) is a promising new technology that will expandEli LillyThe breadth of the RNA therapeutic platform and the targets we can pursue. We are excited about the potential of combining MiNA’s leading saRNA platform with our expertise in novel therapeutic modalities to accelerate the development of RNA drugs in areas with high unmet medical needs.”

Robert Habib, CEO of MiNA Therapeutics, stated: “This collaboration with Eli Lilly represents a significant validation of our saRNA platform.”Eli Lilly"Expertise in the field of RNA therapeutics and clinical development will significantly enhance our efforts to realize the full potential of this technology. We are jointly committed to discovering new targets across multiple therapeutic areas, ultimately advancing them into clinical development and commercialization." (Bioon.com)

Original Source: Lilly and MiNA Therapeutics Announce saRNA Research Collaboration