Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with Jorna Therapeutics in December 2024 aimed at drug discovery using Jorna’s proprietary ribonucleic acid (RNA) editing platform. Having completed the validation of this platform, Ono has begun the search for nucleic acid sequences that could serve as drug candidates.
Under the agreement, Jorna will design RNA editing drug sequences using its proprietary protein and RNA generative AI model, which is based on the quantum mechanics-based AI called SkyEngine. Ono will have an exclusive option right to discover, develop, and commercialize drug candidates generated by the sequences designed by Jorna worldwide. In addition to the upfront payment already made to Jorna, Ono will also pay for research funding and milestone payments based on the progress of the research.
“We highly value Jorna’s unique generative AI technologies, which combine large-scale amino acid sequence information and language models to design desired proteins,” said Seishi Katsumata, Corporate Officer / Executive Director, Discovery & Research of Ono. “Through this partnership, we aim to accelerate drug development using RNA editing technology and provide new treatment options to patients around the world with unmet medical needs.”
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“We are delighted to collaborate with Ono to advance our shared vision of delivering groundbreaking therapies to patients. This partnership is expected to accelerate efforts to bring RNA editing-based therapies to market by leveraging Ono‘s global resources and expertise,” said Chengwei Luo, Founder and CEO of Jorna.
SOURCE: BusinessWire
