RaNA Therapeutics, a Cambridge-based drug startup, announced today will help fund the preclinical work needed to get at least two programs into human trials in 2017. So far the company has touted potential therapies for spinal muscular atrophy and Friedreich’s Ataxia. These therapies are RNA-based drugs meant to switch back on genes that are silenced in certain diseases, and thus don’t produce critical proteins (like spinal motor neuron in the case of people with SMA, and frataxin for those with Friedreich’s). (EXOME)
The company said Thursday that it raised the funds from a group of new and existing investors led by MRL Ventures, an arm of the drug giant Merck, and the Baupost Group. RaNA plans to have one or two treatments for spinal muscular atrophy and Friedreich’s ataxia in clinical trials by 2017. (The Boston Globe)
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Source: EXOME, RaNA CEO Renaud Turns To A Former Backer To Lead $55M Series B
Source:The Boston Globe, Cambridge’s RaNA gets $55 million for rare disease research
