Renjing Biotech and National Center for Nanoscience and Technology Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance Novel mRNA Delivery Platforms Including Exosomes

RinuaGene Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

National Center for Nanoscience and Technology

Recently, RinuaGene Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “RinuaGene”) and the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology have further reached a new strategic partnership, building upon their long-term mutual trust and prior collaboration.Jointly establish the Cooperative Translational Research Center for “Novel Messenger RNA (mRNA) Drug Delivery Systems,” co-develop new technological platforms for mRNA drug delivery, and explore their clinical and industrial applications.RinuaGene will collaborate to develop novel mRNA delivery technologies, building upon its existing lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform for mRNA therapeutics, and gradually establish a multi-platform development strategy centered on mRNA drug delivery.

In accordance with the cooperation agreement, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology and RinuaGene will leverage their respective strengths to carry out comprehensive and in-depth collaboration through various forms, jointly building an innovative system for the “industry-academia-research” alliance.

The National Center for Nanoscience and Technology will leverage its profound expertise in drug-delivery nanomaterials, drawing on internationally cutting-edge research achievements and scientific innovation capabilities to explore novel drug delivery technologies. RinuaGene, relying on its mature mRNA platform and extensive industrialization experience, will provide GMP process development, manufacturing, and analytical services to drive the industrial application of novel drug delivery technologies in mRNA drug development.

The two parties will focus on the development of applications for emerging nanomaterials, such as exosomes and bacterial membrane vesicles, in mRNA drug delivery. This collaboration aims to strengthen core capabilities in targeted and efficient delivery of mRNA therapeutics, expand their application potential, and further enhance the value of mRNA technology in pharmaceutical research and development.

Nie Guangjun, Researcher at the National Center for Nanoscience and TechnologyServing as the Project Lead, Nie Guangjun is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chief Scientist of the National Key Research and Development Program for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology, recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and a Leading Talent in Science and Technology Innovation under the “Ten Thousand Talents Program.” His research interests primarily include tumor nanobiology, nanobiotechnology, and nanobioeffects. Nie Guangjun has also received the Yiling Pharmaceutical Young Scientist Award from the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, the Second Prize of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association Science and Technology Award, and the First Prize of the Beijing Natural Science Award in 2020. His research work was selected as one of the Top Ten Scientific Advances in China in 2018.

Dr. Yi-Jie Dong, Founder of RinuaGeneDr. Dong Yijie brings nearly two decades of experience from major international pharmaceutical companies, with extensive expertise in the development and commercial manufacturing of small-molecule and biologic drugs, as well as outstanding contributions to pipeline portfolio building. He led multiple teams at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) supporting the global pipeline for small-molecule and biologic therapeutics, including Opdivo (PD-1) and Apixaban. He established and directed BMS’s globally leading Center of Excellence for Product Robustness and Data Science, which supported the modernization of global product development and manufacturing. He drove several strategic global initiatives at BMS, including lifecycle continuous process verification, big data–enabled R&D acceleration, robustness of processes and analytical methods, data integrity, quality system matrices, and continuous manufacturing processes. Dr. Dong’s professional experience spans drug R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, quality management, statistical analysis, and regulatory submissions.

Including its founder, Dr. Dong Yijie, the key founding members of RinuaGene hail from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (U.S. headquarters) and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. They bring nearly 20 years of R&D and management experience in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as nearly 30 years of expertise in the development of antiviral vaccines and therapeutics, and have previously led multiple national major science and technology projects on “New Drug Creation” and “Infectious Diseases.” Other core team members have held positions at multinational corporations such as The Liposome Company, Merck, Novartis, and Johnson & Johnson, top-tier research institutions like UC Berkeley, and prominent investment funds.Currently, RinuaGene has assembled a multidisciplinary, cross-functional talent team and possesses end-to-end mRNA drug development capabilities.

RinuaGene is headquartered at Suzhou BioBAY, dedicated to the research and development of innovative drugs based on mRNA technology.

In May 2021, RinuaGene commenced the construction of its R&D center and pilot-scale production platform. Currently, RinuaGene has established a 2,800-square-meter R&D platform for innovative mRNA therapeutics, along with a cGMP-compliant cleanroom facility for pilot-scale manufacturing. These facilities provide comprehensive hardware support for the company’s technological innovation and advancement of its product pipeline. The center is also poised to initiate clinical sample production, fully supporting the regulatory submission requirements for RinuaGene’s mRNA product pipeline.

In terms of its focus areas, RinuaGene has built a technology platform anchored by data science, centered on advanced delivery and high-efficiency manufacturing, and led by mRNA drug development. The company has validated core technologies spanning the design, synthesis, purification, delivery, functional activity assessment, and quality control of mRNA therapeutics, establishing end-to-end in-house R&D and clinical production capabilities for mRNA drugs. Leveraging this platform, RinuaGene is dedicated to developing preventive vaccines for infectious diseases, tumor-associated therapeutic vaccines, and protein replacement therapies. Currently, RinuaGene has seven product candidates in the R&D pipeline and is actively advancing its Investigational New Drug (IND) applications.

In the future, RinuaGene will continue to uphold its corporate culture of innovation and openness, establish multi-faceted partnerships, and jointly promote the development of mRNA, an emerging field in pharmaceuticals. While growing into a leading biopharmaceutical company, it is committed to providing innovative and high-quality solutions to major health challenges facing China and the world.