In 2024, Novartis’s pipeline deal with BoWang Therapeutics valued at over $4 billion, and Ribo Life Science’s collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim worth more than $2 billion, both signaled that small nucleic acid drugs have become a new strategic focus for major pharmaceutical companies. Meanwhile, in the post-pandemic era, mRNA therapies are facing a new landscape characterized by the reshaping of business models and cross-application opportunities. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that RNA therapies, despite their immense potential and turbulent development path, have already emerged as a significant and不可忽视 “major therapeutic arena.”

From May 7 to 10, the 8th Future Medical Ecosystem Expo will be held at the Beijing · Beiren Yichuang International Convention and Exhibition Center. The event is organized by VB100, VCBeat, Eggshell Research Institute, and Arterial Orange, co-organized by the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), and conducted in strategic cooperation with the Management Committee of Tianjin Binhai Zhongguancun Science Park and Beitang Bay Digital Economy Industrial Park.

During this period, the RNA Therapy Forum will be held on the morning of May 9. The forum is jointly hosted by VCBeat New Medicine and Xingcheng Biotech, with Panlin Capital and Fudan Capital invited to attend.Bringing together stakeholders from academia, research, industry, and investment to further promote exchange and collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, CDMOs, suppliers, and other partners, while engaging in in-depth discussions on R&D strategies for RNA therapeutics as well as the current surge in investment, financing, and business development.

A Review of RNA’s Development Over the Past Decade: The Maturation of Chemical Modifications and Delivery Technologies Has Brought the Field into a Harvest Phase, with Clinical Advantages and Market Value Becoming Increasingly Prominent. Small Nucleic Acid Drugs and mRNA Vaccines Have Emerged from This Wave of R&D Enthusiasm. Both Are Reaching Their Own “Milestones”—Small Nucleic Acid Drugs Are in the Midst of a Business Development (BD) Boom, While mRNA Companies Are Expanding into New Disease Areas and Indications.

More practical challenges and considerations await industry innovators in RNA therapeutics: How can Chinese RNA startups build proprietary patent moats? How can they overcome the hurdles of delivery and stability? As multinational corporations (MNCs) ramp up acquisitions, how can small nucleic acid drug startups adapt to the current competitive landscape and select R&D portfolios and clinical strategies suited to their needs? How can mRNA startups undergoing transformation identify new growth drivers through adjustment and upgrading? Furthermore, how can startups collaborate with upstream supply chains to develop advanced manufacturing processes and foster a healthy industrial ecosystem?

The RNA Therapeutics Forum at the 8th Future Medical Ecosystem Expo seeks to find answers to these issues. Representatives from various sectors will share their practical experiences, drawing on industry ecosystem dynamics and development needs.

As RNA therapy startups are swept toward two divergent paths, steadfast innovation and collaborative progress remain the enduring foundation of the industry chain. Though their routes differ, do they converge toward a common destination? Has the moment arrived to transcend market cycles? With deepening understanding of RNA types and functions, alongside the launch of modified RNAs with enhanced stability and activity, as well as targeted delivery vectors leveraging innovative technologies such as nanotechnology, what new blueprint will emerge for the RNA therapy sector?

In May, the 8th Future Healthcare Ecosystem Expo will convene in Beijing, bringing together industry veterans, leading enterprises, and innovative products and services to discuss an open future!

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Organizers: VCBeat, VB100, VCBeat Institute, VCBeat Orange

Co-organized by: Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA)

Strategic Partners: Administrative Committee of Tianjin Binhai Zhongguancun Science Park, Beitang Bay Digital Economy Industrial Park