Rnatics receives €2.7 million from the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The spin-off from the Technical University of Munich is using the funding to advance clinical development of the RNA therapeutic RCS-21. The company is thereby accelerating preparations for clinical trials.
RCS-21 is an RNA-based therapeutic that patients inhale via an inhaler. In the lungs, the therapeutic specifically targets certain immune cells in the alveoli—macrophages. RCS-21 inhibits the molecule microRNA-21 in these cells. This molecule is considered a key trigger for pathological inflammation and scarring of lung tissue.
“Further progress toward clinical trials is an important milestone in translating our research into a potential therapy,”
explains Stefan Engelhardt, CSO and co-founder of Rnatics, and Christina Beck, project manager.
New approach to lung damage
“Rnatics’ approach to macrophage-targeted RNA therapy is extremely innovative, and I look forward to strategically supporting this program,”
says Thomas Thum, board member.
Klaus Rabe, CMO and co-founder, emphasizes that RCS-21, by addressing the root cause of inflammatory and fibrotic lung diseases, has the potential to offer new hope to patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and related conditions, for which only limited effective treatment options currently exist. According to CEO and co-founder Thomas Frischmuth, the company expects to obtain initial clinical data in the coming months, which will provide first insights into the therapy’s potential.
