Korro Bio and Frequency Therapeutics Announce Closing of Merger and Private Placement of $117 Million
AcquisitionOligonucleotide
Korro will be focused on advancing a wholly owned portfolio of RNA editing programs
Post-transaction cash of approximately $170 million expected to fund operations into 2026
Funds multiple potentially value-creating milestones, including advancing its lead product candidate in Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) through a clinical trial
Shares to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker “KRRO” commencing on November 6, 2023
Korro Bio, Inc.(Korro) (Nasdaq: KRRO), a biopharmaceutical company with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize a new class of genetic medicines based on editing RNA, enabling treatment of both rare and highly prevalent diseases, today announced the completion of the previously announced business combination between Frequency Therapeutics, Inc. (Frequency; Nasdaq: FREQ) and the entity formerly known as Korro Bio, Inc. (Korro Bio). The combined company will operate under the name Korro Bio, Inc., and its shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “KRRO” on November 6, 2023.
Immediately prior to the merger, Korro completed the previously announced $117 million private placement co-led by Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company) and Cormorant Asset Management with participation from Eventide Asset Management, Atlas Venture, NEA, Invus, Point72, Platanus, Qiming Venture Partners USA, MP Healthcare Venture Management, Verition Fund Management, Monashee Investment Management, Sixty Degree Capital and additional investors. Following consummation of the transactions, Korro’s cash, cash equivalents and investments of approximately $170 million, after transaction expenses, are expected to fund operations and multiple potentially value-creating milestones into 2026, including advancing its lead product candidate in AATD through a clinical milestone, progression of additional product candidates from the pipeline into the clinic, and demonstrating applicability of the RNA editing platform into several additional tissue types.
“This transformative transaction provides us with the capital to demonstrate the potential of our proprietary RNA editing platform, OPERATM, to develop novel genetic therapies that hold new promise for patients and caregivers,” said Ram Aiyar, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Korro. “We have a deep pipeline with multiple high-value targets, with an initial focus on progressing the lead product candidate in AATD into the clinic. We intend to leverage our learnings from genetics and pharmacology to bring groundbreaking therapeutic options for patients based on generating de novo single nucleotide variants. We appreciate the support and confidence of our investors and the commitment of our dedicated employees as we enter our next phase as a public company.”
Korro’s RNA editing approach involves co-opting ADAR, an endogenous editing system, via engineered oligonucleotides to introduce precise edits to RNA. Korro’s proprietary platform enables the iterative optimization of the editing efficiency of its product candidates using a combination of ADAR biology, chemistry and machine learning expertise. Using this approach, Korro can edit the transcriptome with high efficiency and specificity. Korro’s OPERA platform enables a broad pursuit of indications with an initial focus on six potential programs, all wholly owned, that either correct the mutation or create de novo protein variants that can address the disease.
Korro's lead program in AATD has demonstrated an increase of normal A1AT protein up to 85% of total A1AT protein in circulation in in vivo preclinical studies, which has the potential of disease-modifying effects and providing a differentiated therapeutic option.
Key milestones for the lead program include:
Nomination of a development candidate for its AATD program in late 2023
Submission of a regulatory filing in the second half of 2024
The combined company will be headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and will be led by Ram Aiyar, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Korro Bio and other members of the Korro Bio management team. The Board of Directors of the combined company will initially be comprised of six members, including Nessan Bermingham (Chairman), Ali Behbahani, Jean-François Formela, David L. Lucchino, Tim Pearson, Ram Aiyar, with an additional independent director to be nominated.
“I am pleased with the outcome of this transaction for our shareholders, and, significantly, the opportunity for them to participate in the growth of a company developing important new medicines for patients based on a novel, highly scalable, and elegant RNA-editing platform,” said David L. Lucchino. “I look forward to working with Ram and the other members of Korro’s distinguished Board of Directors to optimize the broad opportunity enabled by today’s transaction.”
About Korro
Korro is a biopharmaceutical company with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize a new class of genetic medicines based on editing RNA, enabling treatment of both rare and highly prevalent diseases. Korro is generating a portfolio of differentiated programs that are designed to harness the body’s natural RNA editing process to effect a precise yet transient single base edit. By editing RNA instead of DNA, Korro is expanding the reach of genetic medicines by delivering additional precision and tunability, which has the potential for increased specificity and improved long-term tolerability. Using an oligonucleotide-based approach, Korro expects to bring its medicines to patients by leveraging its proprietary platform with precedented delivery modalities, manufacturing know-how, and established regulatory pathways of approved oligonucleotide drugs. Korro is based in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit korrobio.com.
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