MiRecule partners with Rio Biofarma Brasil to develop next-generation extra-hepatic RNA delivery platforms

BRAZIL— MiRecule has entered into a research collaboration with Rio Biofarma Brasil (RBBL), a subsidiary of EMS, to develop peptide-mediated delivery technologies that could expand the reach of ribonucleic acid (RNA) therapeutics to tissues beyond the liver and muscles.

The partnership will focus on addressing one of the key challenges limiting the development of RNA medicines: delivering therapeutic molecules to tissues that have historically been difficult to reach.

RNA-based treatments have made significant advances in targeting the liver and, more recently, muscle tissue.

However, many other tissues remain challenging to access, limiting the range of diseases that these medicines can potentially treat.

MiRecule and RBBL therefore aim to develop new delivery approaches that could enable RNA therapeutics to reach a broader range of tissues and expand their potential applications across multiple disease areas.

Under the agreement, MiRecule will combine its NAVIgGator platform, which is designed to support the development of precision RNA medicines, with RBBL’s expertise in peptide discovery, development, and manufacturing.

The companies plan to use these complementary capabilities to develop peptide–RNA conjugates capable of transporting RNA-based treatments to previously difficult-to-target tissues.

The technology generated through the collaboration will be jointly owned by the two companies.

Development and manufacturing

As part of the agreement, MiRecule will develop oligonucleotide payloads for up to three targets, while RBBL will manufacture the resulting products at its facility in Brazil.

The partners have also identified opportunities to expand development and commercialization of the resulting products into international markets, potentially broadening access to RNA-based therapies developed through the collaboration.

In addition to the research partnership, RBBL has made an equity investment in MiRecule. The investment is intended to support the collaboration and advance MiRecule’s portfolio of neuromuscular disease-focused assets.

The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the research collaboration or the equity investment.

Expanding RNA therapeutics

MiRecule CEO Dr Anthony Saleh said the collaboration with EMS-RBBL would strengthen the company’s ability to advance its RNA delivery technologies by combining scientific and manufacturing capabilities.

Saleh said the partnership brings together an organization with significant scale, scientific expertise, manufacturing capabilities, and an established global reputation with MiRecule’s focus on precision RNA medicines.

He added that the companies are particularly interested in the potential to expand RNA therapeutics beyond tissues that can currently be reached effectively, including challenging extra-hepatic targets.

The collaboration forms part of MiRecule’s broader efforts to develop RNA medicines and delivery technologies for diseases that remain difficult to treat with existing approaches.