Sirnaomics Secures $47 Million Series C Financing to Advance RNAi Therapeutics for Cancer and Fibrotic Diseases

VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) learned from foreign media that on April 26 (U.S. local time), the biopharmaceutical company Sirnaomics completed a $47 million Series C financing round. The funds from this round will be used to support the research and development of RNA interference therapeutics for the treatment of various cancers.

It is reported that this round of financing was led by the CR-CP Life Sciences Fund.

Sirnaomics, a biopharmaceutical company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Maryland, USA, with a branch in Guangzhou, China. The company’s RNAi drug, Onpattro, was approved by the FDA in 2018 and is primarily used to treat non-melanoma skin cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and fibrotic diseases.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological process that silences gene expression by degrading target messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules via small interfering RNA (siRNA). Sirnaomics employs its proprietary peptide nanoparticle (PNP) formulation to deliver siRNA into target cells through endocytosis. Once released into the cytoplasm, the siRNA is incorporated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which then cleaves the target mRNA. RISC is a protein complex that unwinds double-stranded RNA and utilizes the guide strand to identify complementary mRNA sequences; the passenger strand is degraded during this process. Although the Argonaute-2 (Ago2) endonuclease within RISC possesses intrinsic RNA-cleaving activity, its basal activity is limited. Therefore, siRNA is required to activate and guide RISC, enabling multiple rounds of mRNA cleavage. This mechanism prevents the aberrant expression of RNA that could lead to the production of toxic proteins and subsequent disease pathogenesis.

The PNP developed by Sirnaomics, Inc. offers the following advantages: (1) The peptide is composed of natural amino acids and degrades into natural, non-toxic substances within the human body; (2) PNP consists of a branched histidine-lysine polypeptide that is easy to synthesize. This PNP encapsulates siRNA, protecting it from the surrounding environment in the bloodstream. Once inside target cells, the histidine residues generate protons, leading to the release of siRNA and inducing RNA degradation; (3) PNP can be administered via intradermal or intravenous injection, eliminating the need for surgery and offering convenience and efficiency.

Currently, this technology can only degrade RNA of a single type, thereby treating certain diseases. The company plans to use the funds from its latest round of financing to continue biotechnology research and development, with the aim of achieving the simultaneous degradation of multiple RNA strands.

Mixson, Scientific Founder of Sirnaomics, Inc., stated, “The Series C financing will support our next phase of technology and drug development, particularly our clinical research in the field of oncology. We are grateful to our investors for their trust in our technology and therapeutic approach.”

Da Liu, Managing Director of CR-CP Life Sciences Fund, stated, “We are pleased to partner with Sirnaomics, the only biopharmaceutical company in the United States dedicated to the research and development of clinical-stage RNAi therapeutics. We have confidence in the team’s ability to efficiently advance their clinical programs, expand market access for their products, and alleviate suffering for cancer patients.”

The CR-CP Life Sciences Fund is a joint venture fund established by China Resources Group (CR) and Charoen Pokphand Group (CP), one of Thailand’s leading private enterprise conglomerates, with assets under management totaling USD 300 million. The fund’s mandate is to invest in leading life sciences companies to drive the research and development of innovative drugs, cell therapies, medical devices, and smart healthcare technologies.

(Compiled by Liu Yujing)