Orna Therapeutics inks collaboration with Simnova on next-gen RNA technology in China

Adding to a deal with a US pharma giant last year, Cambridge, USA-based biotech Orna Therapeutics has now entered into a collaboration with Shanghai Xianbo Biotech, also known as Simnova outside of China, to discover, develop and commercialize multiple potential therapeutics in the area of oncology in China.

Under the terms of the agreement, Simnova, an affiliate of Simcere Investment Group, will gain access in greater China to certain programs built on Orna’s breakthrough isCAR technology, including Orna’s lead anti-CD19 in situ CAR (isCAR) program, ORN-101. In addition, Orna will gain access to investigator-initiated clinical trials in China to accelerate the validation of select programs in patients. Orna will receive an undisclosed upfront payment from Simnova and be eligible for development, regulatory, and sales milestones as well as royalties on any approved products derived from the collaboration.

Orna’s proprietary isCAR technology comprises two components: elegantly engineered circular RNAs (oRNAs) expressing chimeric antigen receptors, and custom-built lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) designed to deliver the oRNAs to cells of the immune system. oRNAs have greater stability in immune cells and are engineered to produce more proteins inside the body, than linear mRNAs. More broadly, Orna’s oRNA-LNP platform has potential across a range of indications including oncology, genetic and infectious disease, and more.