HAYA Therapeutics and Lilly Partner to Discover New Genome Targets for Obesity and Metabolic Conditions

LAUSANNE, Switzerland & SAN DIEGO, CA, USA I September 04, 2024 I HAYA Therapeutics, SA, a biotechnology firm specializing in precision RNA-guided genome-targeting therapeutics for chronic diseases, has entered into a multi-year partnership with Eli Lilly and Company. The collaboration aims to utilize HAYA’s cutting-edge RNA-guided regulatory genome platform to bolster preclinical drug discovery efforts targeting obesity and associated metabolic conditions. The partnership will focus on identifying multiple RNA-based regulatory genome targets to combat these persistent health issues.

Under the agreement's terms, HAYA will receive an initial payment that includes an equity investment. Additionally, HAYA stands to earn up to $1 billion in pre-clinical, clinical, and commercial milestone payments, along with royalties on any future product sales.

HAYA’s proprietary platform specializes in identifying long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) targets that are specific to tissues, diseases, and cells. This technology facilitates the development of RNA-targeting therapies that promise enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity compared to existing treatments. The collaboration with Eli Lilly will leverage this platform extensively to identify, characterize, and validate new lncRNA targets, setting the stage for the development of innovative treatments for obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Samir Ounzain, CEO of HAYA Therapeutics, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "This partnership with Lilly highlights the significant progress we have made with our pioneering regulatory genome RNA-guided platform. It underscores the potential of targeting lncRNA for chronic conditions. We are excited to work closely with Lilly, a recognized leader in metabolic disease treatments, to develop novel therapeutics that could offer better efficacy, safety, and accessibility than current options."

HAYA Therapeutics is a company focused on precision medicines, developing programmable therapeutics that target regulatory RNAs derived from what is known as the "dark genome." This genomic component acts as a cell information processing unit, and HAYA uses it to reprogram pathological cell states across various diseases, including cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, as well as cancer. The company harnesses its innovative platform to gain new insights into the biology of disease cell states and the lncRNAs that regulate them.

One of HAYA’s leading therapeutic candidates is HTX-001, currently in development for treating heart failure. The company is also building a pipeline of lncRNA-targeting precision therapies aimed at treating diseases in specific tissues.

HAYA Therapeutics operates out of the Biopôle life sciences park in Lausanne, Switzerland, with additional laboratory facilities at JLABS in San Diego.

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