Bayer and biotechnology company NextRNA Therapeutics on Wednesday said they have partnered to develop a new kind of small molecule drug for cancer, agreeing to a collaboration deal that could be worth more than half of a billion dollars.
The two companies will use NextRNA’s technology to advance two small molecule drugs that target cancers driven by dysregulated long non-coding RNA. Under the deal, NextRNA could receive up to $547 million, including an upfront payment the companies did not disclose.
The companies also did not specify the types of cancer or specific drug targets they will pursue, but indicated they aim to develop the two programs for indications with “high unmet need.” The first program is already in preclinical testing at NextRNA, while Bayer will hold an option to select another target for joint development.
Most DNA is transcribed into RNA that doesn’t encode for specific proteins, and is accordingly dubbed “non-coding RNA.” Long non-coding RNAs are classified by their size, which allows for the formation of structures that interact with RNA-binding proteins.
These interactions can go awry, helping to drive diseases like cancer or immune disorders, according to NextRNA. The company’s technology is designed to disrupt binding between long non-coding RNA and RNA-binding proteins.
NextRNA officially launched in 2022 with $56 million in funding to advance its platform. Its technology was built around research by scientist and company co-founder Carl Novina, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
“We aim to advance novel small molecule therapeutics against a new class of targets in oncology,” said Juergen Eckhardt, head of business development and licensing at Bayer’s pharmaceuticals division, in a statement.
Under the deal, Bayer will also gain access to NextRNA’s computational software “NextMap.”
https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/bayer-nextrna-non-coding-rna-collaboration-oncology/725480/
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