etherna Announces Strategic Multi-Target Collaboration with Dropshot Therapeutics

NIEL, Belgium and BOSTON, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- etherna immunotherapies NV ("etherna"), a technology platform leader pioneering mRNA and lipid-based nanoparticle (LNP) technologies, announces a strategic collaboration with Dropshot Therapeutics ("Dropshot"). The collaboration combines the cutting-edge platforms of both companies to accelerate the development of RNA-based therapeutics for the development of multiple new drug candidates across several indications. etherna will receive an upfront payment and research funding, and potentially milestone payments during development and tiered royalties following product launch, together estimated to be up to USD 950 million.

As a recognized leader in mRNA and LNP technology, etherna has developed a suite of proprietary lipid nanoparticle formulations. These technologies enable precise delivery and expression of RNA therapeutics in targeted organs and cells, forming the foundation for groundbreaking treatments across multiple therapeutic areas.

Dropshot, focused on addressing unmet medical needs in cardiac and renal diseases, has been at the forefront of developing novel therapies utilizing LNPs to deliver RNA payloads. The collaboration builds on Dropshot's prior evaluation of etherna's mRNA and LNP platforms and is intended to create novel proprietary therapeutics based on etherna's mRNA and its LNP formulations to move rapidly from pre-clinical animal studies into clinical human studies.

"This agreement underscores etherna's commitment to driving innovation through collaboration," said Bernard Sagaert, CEO of etherna. "Dropshot's expertise in heart and kidney disease aligns with etherna's mission to be a technology leader in the development of nucleic acid-based medicines. etherna aims to empower our partners to create transformative therapeutics and improve patients' lives."

Marijn Dekkers, CEO of Dropshot, said "At Dropshot we have been working with etherna for some time evaluating their technology solutions to meet our needs to develop new potential RNA therapeutics.  We are excited about the collaboration bringing our expertise in cardiac and renal disease biology together with etherna's mRNA and LNP technology. We look forward to bringing multiple new drug candidates into active development."

About etherna
etherna is a leading RNA technology company headquartered in Niel, Belgium and Boston, USA, with decades of experience in the field. Specializing in customizable Lipid Nanoparticles (cLNPs), RNA chemistry, and process technologies, etherna empowers pharmaceutical and biotech partners at every stage of drug development. Our proprietary platforms drive discovery and address challenges in creating nucleic acid-based medicines, enabling transformative therapies to improve patients' lives.

About Dropshot Therapeutics
Dropshot Therapeutics is an early stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative RNA-based therapeutics for heart and kidney diseases. The company is based near Boston, USA and was co-founded in 2023 by Kenneth R. Chien, co-founder of Moderna and former Professor at Karolinska Institutet, and Marijn E. Dekkers, Chairman of Novalis LifeSciences and former CEO of Bayer and of Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Contact information:
Etherna: [email protected]
Dropshot: [email protected]

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SOURCE etherna