Valerio to buy Etherna for $35M in push for targeted RNA therapies

Valerio Therapeutics has agreed to buy Etherna Immunotherapies for an enterprise value of $35 million (€30 million).

The acquisition marks a major milestone in Valerio's strategy to build a leading platform in the development of next-generation precision-guided RNA therapeutics. By uniting three complementary technology platforms — nucleic acid chemistry, LNP delivery and targeted moiety engineering — within a fully integrated biotech supported by in-house manufacturing capabilities, the deal aims to position Valerio to accelerate the development of next-generation RNA medicines targeting tissues beyond the liver.

“By combining Etherna’s RNA and LNP platforms with our proprietary cell-targeting technologies, we are creating a powerful innovation engine designed to accelerate the development of next-generation RNA medicines,” said Gilles Besin, Ph.D., CEO of Valerio. “Most importantly, our combined platforms enable us to overcome a bottleneck that has held the field back for decades: reaching tissues beyond the liver and, in doing so, opening the way to the treatment of a broad range of diseases that have so far been beyond the reach of conventional mRNA delivery."

At the same time, Valerio is raising ~$47 million (€40.25 million) in private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing supported by a mix of existing shareholders and new investors.

Read more about the future of RNA therapies in our recent cover story, RNA's comeback tour.