- Hongene Biotech Corporation has entered a non-exclusive licensing agreement with UMass Chan Medical School to produce and supply exNA monomers and exNA-modified oligonucleotides.
- The agreement expands Hongene’s RNA chemistry portfolio and increases access to oligonucleotide technologies for academic and biopharmaceutical research.
Hongene Biotech Corporation, a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) specialising in nucleic acid therapeutics, has signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement with the UMass Chan Medical School. The deal will allow Hongene to produce and supply extended nucleic acid (exNA) monomers and exNA-modified oligonucleotides for research use.
The agreement expands Hongene’s RNA chemistry portfolio while making exNA technology accessible to researchers working on RNA interference (RNAi), antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), CRISPR guides, and other oligonucleotide-based modalities.
ExNA was developed by scientists at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan Medical School. It is a proprietary backbone modification designed to enhance the durability and pharmacokinetics of oligonucleotide therapeutics, while remaining compatible with established small interfering RNA (siRNA) designs.
Dr. David Butler, Chief Technology Officer at Hongene, said: “This partnership reflects our strategy to bring next-generation RNA chemistries to market and support researchers working on the toughest delivery challenges in oligonucleotide therapeutics.”
Under the licensing terms, Hongene will use its expertise in phosphoramidite manufacturing and oligonucleotide synthesis to offer exNA phosphoramidites and custom exNA oligonucleotides through its catalogue and bespoke services. The expanded access is expected to support research into stable, tissue-specific RNA therapeutics and accelerate the development of new medicines for areas of unmet clinical need.
