Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd. and its subsidiary Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB, along with Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDGL), announced the achievement of the first candidate drug nomination milestone under their siRNA research partnership, according to a press release dated July 1, 2026.

The milestone relates to a collaborative program targeting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a liver disease. Following the nomination, the companies said they plan to immediately begin IND-enabling studies in preparation for future clinical trials.

The partnership covers multiple preclinical assets directed at the liver, with a focus on MASH. No financial terms of the collaboration were disclosed.

Li-Ming Gan, co-CEO and Global R&D President of Ribo, said the first milestone was reached "in just a few months," attributing the pace to the complementary capabilities of both companies.

Suzhou Ribo Life Science is a clinical-stage company based in Suzhou, China, focused on RNA interference-based drug development. Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB is its Sweden-based subsidiary focused on oligonucleotide therapies. Madrigal Pharmaceuticals is a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company listed on the Nasdaq.