Shanghai-based company has multiple programs targeting cardiovascular, kidney, and CNS diseases, as well as NASH and obesity.
Chinese biotech Rona Therapeutics has successfully raised $35 million in a “Series A+” financing to advance nucleic acid drug development for metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. The Shanghai-based company leverages multiple platforms to develop small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs capable of regulating the expression of specific genes that play a role in certain diseases.
The funds will be used to further progress the clinical development of Rona’s metabolic siRNA programs, and to expand its work in other areas, particularly central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The company is currently advancing programs in liver-targeted metabolism-related treatments for cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), obesity and kidney diseases.
The company’s flagship program, RN0191, a PCSK9 siRNA designed for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, has completed Phase 1 clinical trials in Australia and China and is now poised to enter Phase 2 clinical development. Another program, RN0361, targeting hypertriglyceridemia, is set to begin clinical trials in the second quarter of 2024.
In addition to its metabolic disease pipeline, Rona Therapeutics is focusing on the potential of extra-hepatic nucleic acid delivery for CNS degenerative diseases. The company claims it has developed a proprietary platform capable of treating complex diseases like ALS and Alzheimer’s, which it says has produced multiple assets for progression into the IND-enabling stage.
“Rona Therapeutics remains committed to pushing boundaries of RNA medicine in metabolic, obesity, renal and neuro degenerative diseases with Rona’s proprietary RNA platform,” said Rona CEO Stella Shi.
The funding round was led by LongRiver Investments, with participation from new and existing investors, including Zhaode Investment, BioTrack Capital, Zhongqi Capital, and Lilly Asia Ventures. Joining Rona’s board, LongRiver expressed confidence in the company’s potential, based on its success in bringing two siRNA metabolic programs into clinical development, the quality of its clinical data, and its multi-platform approach.
