Celanese, Secarna in RNA research collaboratioon for ASO therapies

Celanese Corporation and Secarna Pharmaceuticals, an independent European antisense drug discovery and development company, announced a research collaboration for the development of long-acting implants that deliver antisense oligonucleotides or ASOs . ASOs are synthetic molecules designed to target specific messenger RNA to prevent the production of proteins implicated in th progression of a wide range of diseases including cardiometabolic, central nervous system, oncological and rare diseases. Antisense therapy is an innovative, commercially-validated therapeutic approach, but often requires frequent administration or the delivery of large doses to achieve uptake at the intended site of action, ultimately causing a high treatment burden for patients. “Collaborating with Secarna allows us to develop an innovative implant that has the potential to significantly change the way disease-modifying ASO therapies are administered,” said Cyonna Holmes, global business strategy leader for Ophthalmology and RNA at Celanese. “Our team is excited to use our unique Drug Delivery Platform and expertise to help address the growing need for patient-centric, targeted solutions for ASO therapies alongside Secarna.”