List of RNA Therapies Companies in Connecticut - 3

Mitotherapeutix was created to take advantage of advancements in RNA chemistry and its use in developing siRNA based drugs that can target otherwise difficult to address disease targets. Our initial gene target is a novel protein that controls metabolic activity/efficiency in the mitochondria. The ability to control mitochondrial activity is significant because > 90% of the energy of the cell comes from the mitochondria. This gene target is a negative regulator. Thus, in the presence of the regulator, metabolism is slowed down and the removal of the regulator safely increases metabolism. We have explored the function of this metabolic regulator in different tissues and disease states and have found that turning off the regulator can have a positive effect in disease treatment. Targeting this gene product creates the opportunity of producing a drug that can treat a wide array of diseases.

Spun out of Yale University in 2020, RIGImmune is a platform biopharmaceutical company developing a novel investigational class of RNA immunotherapies, and advancing complimentary targeted delivery systems, for the broad-spectrum treatment of viral diseases and cancer. Led by biopharma industry veteran, President Susan Sobolov, PhD, RIGImmune’s products act to specifically modulate RIG-I, a host surveillance pathway that triggers the innate immune system to enhance the patients’ intrinsic response to disease. RIGImmune was launched in 2020 by Yale Professors Anna Marie Pyle, PhD and Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, who are also Scientific Advisors for the company. Pyle co-discovered the RIG-I receptor family and conducted many of the first structural and biochemical investigations on RIG-I. Pyle is also a specialist in RNA structure, and design. In collaboration with Iwasaki, Pyle designed the stem loop RNAs for selective targeting of RIG-I using crystal structure data of RIG-I complexed with RNA and developed them as antitumor and anticancer compounds.

RNAConnect, Inc. is a company focused on the development of life science reagents to help further RNA sciences. They promise groundbreaking solutions for exploring the real-world diversity of RNA sequence and structure.