Hongene Biotech to support UMass Chan Medical School’s nucleic acid research

Hongene Biotech, a contract development and manufacturing organization based in China, has entered a non-exclusive licensing agreement with UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts to produce and supply extended nucleic acid (exNA) monomers and exNA-modified oligonucleotides for research use, the company said.

The exNA backbone modification, developed at UMass Chan’s RNA Therapeutics Institute, is designed to significantly enhance the durability and pharmacokinetics of oligonucleotide therapeutics while remaining compatible with established small interfering RNA (siRNA) designs.

“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,” David Butler, Hongene’s chief technology officer, said in a statement. “By enabling access to exNA for research, we hope to accelerate the development of RNA-based medicines for extrahepatic indications.”

Under the agreement, Hongene will apply its expertise in phosphoramidite manufacturing and oligonucleotide synthesis to make exNA phosphoramidites and custom exNA oligonucleotides available through its catalog and custom services. The company said the expanded access to exNA technology is expected to support the development of more stable, tissue-specific RNA therapeutics.