Orna’s Approach & Strategy
We’re reshaping RNA therapeutics to open an entirely new world of possibilities in the treatment of disease. Our field-defining engineered circular RNA (oRNA®) has unmatched advantages compared to linear RNA, and our groundbreaking LNP delivery to sites other than the liver has led the world in unlocking the treatment of a far greater span of diseases than previously addressable.
Limitless Potential
Our vision is to deliver first-in-class innovative RNA drugs wherever they’re needed in the body. Initially focusing on oncology and autoimmune diseases (with our panCAR™ in vivo CAR technology) and infectious disease (with our Merck collaboration), our delivery solutions also open up the possibility of treating certain genetic diseases, such as sickle-cell disease and beta-thalassemia, directly in the bone marrow.
Our technology will allow an immediate, off-the-shelf treatment option that will not require harsh preconditioning regimens, offering a significant advancement over traditional cell engineering therapies.
About Us
Creating a new class of therapeutics requires thinking outside the lines. Comprising a team of skilled scientists, molecular engineers, and industry veterans in addition to a world-class Board of Directors and Scientific Advisors, we are well-suited for to bring the promise of our unique oRNA® and LNP delivery method to patients.
Our Team
News & Events
Orna Therapeutics Appoints Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., to Scientific Advisory Board
ReNAgade is acquired by RNA rival a year after megaround-backed launch
Orna Therapeutics Announces Strategic Acquisition of ReNAgade Therapeutics to Solidify Leadership in Circular RNA Therapies
WATERTOWN, Mass., July 30, 2024 – Orna Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to designing and delivering a new class of circular RNA medicines, including panCAR™ in vivo CAR therapies for oncology and autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., a 2022 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, as Co-Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), joining Orna former Chief Executive Officer Tom Barnes, Ph.D., as Co-Chair. As a pioneer in emerging technologies, Dr. Bertozzi has cofounded 14 biopharmaceutical companies and guided more than a dozen academic and professional organizations and life sciences companies through her leadership and board positions.
“Dr. Bertozzi is a visionary scientist whose discoveries have led to multiple biotech innovations, and we are very excited for her to co-lead our new Scientific Advisory Board with Dr. Barnes,” said Amit D. Munshi, Chief Executive Officer of Orna. “Her appointment will provide deep expertise across Orna’s established circular RNA expression technologies and support the expansion of our delivery technology, further solidifying our leadership position in gene editing. Dr. Bertozzi will play a crucial role in building out our SAB and advising our team to realize the full potential of RNA therapeutics for cancer and autoimmune diseases.”
“Orna is advancing a truly innovative RNA engine with the potential to overcome the current limitations of cell therapies,” said Dr. Bertozzi. “I am very pleased to join Tom on Orna’s SAB and look forward to working closely with Amit and the company’s leadership team to lend my experience in support of their quest to develop paradigm-shifting RNA medicines.”
Dr. Bertozzi is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Chemical & Systems Biology and Radiology, the Baker Family Director of the Sarafan ChEM-H institute at Stanford University, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. She was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.
In addition to her academic work, Dr. Bertozzi has founded multiple biotechnology start-ups based on her research. An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she has been awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize, Heinrich Wieland Prize, ACS Award in Pure Chemistry, Chemistry of the Future Solvay Prize, Wolf Prize in Chemistry, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, among other awards and honors during her distinguished career.
About Orna Therapeutics
Founded on research by Alex Wesselhoeft, Ph.D., and Daniel G. Anderson, Ph.D., of MIT, Orna Therapeutics is dedicated to designing and delivering a new class of fully engineered circular RNA (oRNA®) therapeutics to unlock the potential of RNA medicine to treat diseases anywhere in the body. Orna’s circular RNA transcripts have advantages over traditional mRNA approaches, including simplified production, improved formulatability, and superior protein expression. Its industry-leading LNP-based delivery systems and comprehensive editing programs position Orna to advance novel RNA medicines with vast potential to transform patient care. To learn more, visit www.ornatx.com and follow Orna Therapeutics on X and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Peg Rusconi
Deerfield Group
Peg.rusconi@deerfieldgroup.com
Investor Contact
May 23, 2024 – Two buzzy, well-funded biotech startups are combining in a bid to create a powerhouse at the bleeding edge of genetic medicines.
Unifies World-Class Validated Circular RNA and Industry-leading Delivery Technologies to Advance New Category of panCAR™ in vivo CAR RNA Medicines for Oncology and Autoimmune Diseases
Amit Munshi to Lead Company as Chief Executive Officer
Former Orna CEO Tom Barnes, Ph.D., to Remain on Board of Directors and Chair Scientific Advisory Board
WATERTOWN, Mass. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 23, 2024 – Orna Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to designing and delivering a new class of fully engineered circular RNA therapeutics (oRNA®), today announced its acquisition of ReNAgade Therapeutics, a pioneer in unlocking the potential of RNA therapeutics that demonstrated industry-leading delivery to multiple extra-hepatic cells in non-human primate (NHP) models over the past 18 months.
Amit D. Munshi, Chief Executive Officer of ReNAgade, will succeed Tom Barnes, Ph.D., to lead Orna as Chief Executive Officer.
“RNA-centric approaches are poised to eclipse traditional cell therapy-based methods and reshape the future of medicine,” said Mr. Munshi. “This strategic acquisition unifies Orna’s and ReNAgade’s strengths and capabilities under one roof, expanding technological synergies and multiplying the companies’ depth and breadth of expertise to drive a unique RNA therapeutic-focused R&D engine. Orna will now advance an industry-leading approach combining the Company’s circular RNA expression technology with ReNAgade’s broad portfolio of LNP-based RNA delivery systems and comprehensive editing programs to solve the most pressing challenges in drug development.”
An industry veteran of more than 30 years, Mr. Munshi is former President and CEO of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., which he built from a $300 million market cap into a late clinical stage company before its acquisition for $6.7 billion by Pfizer. Dr. Barnes will retain his position on Orna’s Board of Directors and serve as chair of its Scientific Advisory Board.
“Orna remains singularly focused on developing the right tools and technologies and building the right company to power an entirely new class of RNA-based medicines,” said Dr. Barnes, founding Chief Executive Officer of Orna Therapeutics. “The combination of technologies positions Orna to advance best-in-classpanCAR in vivo CAR RNA therapies and expand existing gene editing delivery solutions with circular RNA to address the massive unmet need in multiple diseases.”
“Both Orna and ReNAgade were founded on our bold vision to push the boundaries of RNA medicine,” said Ansbert Gadicke, M.D., Managing Partner of MPM BioImpact. “The fusion of these industry leaders in circular RNA and delivery will transform the landscape of RNA therapeutics and accelerate clinical milestones leading to greater impact for patients living with cancer and autoimmune diseases. The combined company is supported by a substantial financial position enabling these milestones.”
Built by MPM BioImpact, both Orna and ReNAgade bring significant financing. Orna launched with $100 million in Series A financing in February 2021, subsequently announcing in August 2022 a $221 million Series B in addition to a strategic partnership. ReNAgade launched in May 2023 with $300 million Series A financing. The combined company will have a robust pipeline with panCAR programs in oncology and autoimmune disease, vaccine programs partnered with Merck, and genetic disease programs.
About Orna Therapeutics
Orna Therapeutics was founded on research by Alex Wesselhoeft, Ph.D., and Daniel G. Anderson, Ph.D., from MIT. It is dedicated to designing and delivering a new class of fully engineered circular RNA (oRNA®) therapeutics with the potential to change the way we treat disease. Orna’s proprietary platform combines novel technology to design circular RNA transcripts that drive protein expression with validated and unique delivery solutions. oRNA® has many advantages over traditional mRNA approaches, including simplified production, improved formulatability, and superior protein expression – making it a highly disruptive, new class of RNA therapeutics with vast potential to change patients’ lives. To learn more, visit www.ornatx.com and follow Orna Therapeutics on X and LinkedIn.
About ReNAgade Therapeutics
ReNAgade exists to unlock the potential for RNA medicines to treat disease anywhere in the body. It combines novel RNA delivery platforms with a comprehensive RNA platform allowing for an all-RNA system for coding, editing, and gene insertion to develop new medicines. To accelerate the future of medicine, ReNAgade brings together a team with deep RNA and delivery expertise to develop paradigm-shifting RNA medicines.
Media Contact
Peg Rusconi
Verge Scientific Communications
Peg.rusconi@vergescientific.com
Investor Contact
investor-relations@ornatx.com
ReNAgade Investor Contact
renagade@argotpartners.com