PCI 7 November 2023, 15:22
Thermofisher: Thu 29 February 2024, 11:15
BMG Labtech: Wed 18 September 2024, 11:55
Owen Mumford 12 January 2022, 16:46

Current Edition

Cell and Gene Therapy

Upcoming Events

NextGen BioMed – 04/02/2025
BioTrinity 2025 – January 30th 2025
Elrig R&I 2025 – 27th January 2025
Biotechnology Show 2025: 20th January 2025
Anglonordic: 16th January 2025
AI in Drug Discovery – SAE media – January 14th 2025

Advertisement

Fujifilm rectangle: Fri 22 November 2024, 14:23
Roald Dahl Charity: Fri 15 November 2024, 12:57
A&M STABTEST: Fri 21 June 2024, 11:43
CDD Vault: Wed 17 July 2024, 11:46
Aurisco – 04/02/2025

J&J to explore RNA reprogramming with Remix research deal

Dive Brief:

  • Johnson & Johnson is partnering with Remix Therapeutics to develop drugs that are meant to reprogram how RNA is processed, becoming the latest big pharma to expand its research presence in a now fast-growing field.

 

  • Traditionally, drugmakers have targeted proteins to treat disease. Going after RNA, the messenger molecules that translate DNA, has required special technologies that took years to work out. Now newer biotech companies like Remix believe they have the tools to target RNA with chemical pills.

 

  • Under the deal, J&J gets rights to three targets in immunology and oncology. Remix will receive $45 million upfront and is eligible for milestone payments and royalties that could exceed $1 billion if the research succeeds, according to a release Thursday.

Dive Insight:

The science is still in early stages, but companies such as Remix say aiming chemical-based medicines at RNA molecules is the natural next step as drugmakers run out of proteins they can easily target with other methods.

RNA acts as a messenger inside cells, carrying instructions from DNA for protein production. Remix’s technology is designed to “tune” that process to attack the origin of a disease by degrading, boosting or altering RNA. The company aims to do that with small molecule drugs, rather than the nucleic acid therapies used by companies like Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

The promise of using small molecules to target RNA has resulted in a flurry of deals between more established pharmaceutical makers and smaller companies.

Over the last two years, the Massachusetts biotech Arrakis Therapeutics has signed deals with both Roche and Amgen to develop drugs that modify or destroy RNA. In each case, the cash paid upfront was relatively modest, but the agreements hold the potential for “several billion dollars” in future payments if the research pans out.

Roche last year also joined forces with a North Carolina biotech called Ribometrix to target RNA molecules. In 2020, AstraZeneca teamed with Accent Therapeutics and Vertex announced plans to work with Skyhawk Therapeutics. Like the Arrakis deals, the Ribometrix, Accent and Skyhawk agreements are backloaded with big payments dependent on clinical success.

Remix, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, launched in December 2020 with $81 million in financing.

Newcells 3 June 2024, 15:12
Novonordisk: Wed 17 July 2024, 11:22
FujiFilm 30 October 2023, 16:23
Autoscribe Mon 26 June 2023, 15:15
Aldevron: 16th January 2025
Richter: Wed 23 October 2024, 09:03
GenXPro: Mon 16 September 2024, 10:40