Stellar start for three-year-old with next-gen RNA technology

Big pharma has come knocking at the door of Orna Therapeutics, a biotech launched a few years ago by MIT alumni with the goal of developing a new kind of RNA therapeutic.

New Jersey, USA’s Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) has committed to an impressive upfront payment of $150 million, coupled with up to $3.5 billion in clinical, regulatory, and sales milestones.

The companies will work together on the development of multiple vaccine and therapeutic programs, leveraging Orna’s technology to pioneer a new class of engineered circular RNA (oRNA) therapies.