Eli Lilly Taps saRNA Research Tech from MiNA for Drug Discovery

May 13, 2021 - Eli Lilly and Company and MiNA Therapeutics recently entered into a global research collaboration  that will leverage small activating RNA (saRNA) research technology for drug discovery.

MiNA Therapeutics is the leader in sa RNA therapeutics. The RNA therapeutics are a new class of medicines that can restore normal function to patients’ cells. 

Using MiNA’s saRNA technology platform, the companies will research up to five targets selected by Eli Lilly and Company that aim to address diseases across specific therapeutic focal areas. 

"Small activating RNAs are a promising new technology, which will expand the breadth of Lilly's RNA therapeutics platform and the targets we can pursue," Andrew C. Adams, PhD, vice president for new therapeutic modalities at Eli Lilly and Company said in the announcement.

"We are excited about the potential of combining MiNA's leading saRNA platform and our expertise in new modalities to accelerate development of RNA-based medicines in areas of high unmet medical need,” Adams continued. 

Through transactional activation, saRNA therapeutics can help to modulate previously undruggable targets.

saRNA platforms lead to increased expression of naturally processed mRNA and upregulation of the target protein, a MiNA spokesperson said in a press release. saRNA’s can also upregulate intracellular or secreted proteins for therapeutic benefit and increase protein levels for both naturally expressed and epigenetically silenced targets. 

Robert Habib, CEO of MiNA Therapeutic,s stated that Eli Lilly and Company’s expertise in RNA therapeutics and clinical development will boost efforts to realize the company’s saRNA platform’s full potential. 

As part of the agreement, Eli Lilly and Company will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development of candidates and will have exclusive commercialization rights for any products from the collaboration. 

Additionally, MiNA will receive a $25 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive potential development and commercialization milestones up to a total of $245 million per target. The company will also have access to tiered royalties on product sales.

Eli Lilly and Company has worked to discover life-changing medications for those individuals most in need, while also improving and understanding management of disease.

At the end of November, the company entered into a collaboration with Precision BioSciences to research and develop potential in vivo gene therapies for genetic disorders. 

The collaboration and exclusive license agreement will give Eli Lilly and Company access to Precision’s proprietary ARCUS genome editing platform, which enables a range of therapeutic editing. 

The ACRUS editing platform can be optimized to control for potency and specificity. Initially, the companies will focus on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) therapies, as well as two undisclosed gene targets.

Then in January, Loxo Oncology, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, and Merus N.V. entered into a collaboration to research and develop up to three CD3-engaging T-cell redirecting bispecific antibody therapies.

Clinical-stage oncology company, Merus, will lead discovery and early-stage research activities, while Loxo Oncology will be responsible for additional research, development, and commercialization activities. 

Specifically, the collaboration will leverage Merus’ proprietary Biclonics platform along with the scientific and rational drug design of Loxo Oncology. 

And most recently, the company entered into a research agreement with Biolojic Design to develop potential antibody therapies for the treatment of diabetes.

The collaboration and license agreement will focus on a multi-specific antibody, which is a human antibody that is computationally engineered to bind two or more targets at each of its arms, Eli Lilly and Company explained. 

Fine-tuning the affinity and competition of the targets on the multi-specific antibody can produce therapies with differential activities. 

The specific targets that the companies will study through the collaboration were not disclosed.