Swiss RNA maker Haya in huge licence deal

While some RNA drugs are just before clinical development, it is one of the first big pharma collaborations in the long non-coding RNA space: Lausanne-headquartered HAYA Therapeutics SA has set to cash in up to US$1bn, if it is able to find safe and effective novel long non-coding RNAs modulating obesity targets. The multi-year agreement with Eli Lilly and Company is designed to let HAYA identify and preclinically develop first-in-class obesity and diabetes modulators. Together the partners will identify multiple regulatory genome derived RNA-based drug targets. Under the terms of the collaboration, HAYA will has already received an upfront payment upon signature and an equity investment. The biotech takes the risk of preclinical failure but can earn up to US$1bn if Lilly exercises an option to commercialise candidates and bring them on the market. In that case, HAYA will earn  royalties on product sales. However, the race between obesity pioneer Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and followers is heating up with a lot of deals and M&A activities.

HAYA claims it can identify tissue-, disease- and cell-specific long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) targets and develop RNA-targeting therapies, with potentially better efficacy and less toxicity than current peptide hormone and antibody-based treatments, to reprogram disease-driving cell states. HAYA is headquartered at the life sciences park Biopôle in Lausanne, Switzerland, with laboratory facilities at JLABS at San Diego, USA.