Haya Therapeutics, a Swiss biotech pioneering RNA-guided regulatory genome targeting therapeutics, has struck a multi-year collaboration with Eli Lilly to apply its platform to preclinical discovery of novel long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) drug targets for obesity and related metabolic conditions, according to the company.
Under the agreement, Haya will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and an equity investment from Lilly, and may receive up to $1 billion in milestone payments across pre-clinical, clinical and commercial stages, as well as royalties on product sales.
Haya claims its proprietary regulatory genome discovery platform can identify tissue-, disease- and cell-specific lncRNAs, enabling development of RNA-targeted therapies with potentially better efficacy and lower toxicity compared to existing treatments.
The partnership will focus on identifying, characterising and validating multiple regulatory genome-derived RNA targets for obesity and metabolic disorders using Haya’s platform.
This collaboration marks Haya’s first with a major pharmaceutical company and represents a significant investment in lncRNA-based drug discovery.
The deal reflects growing interest in the therapeutic potential of the so-called ‘dark genome’, which makes up about 98% of human DNA, by targeting non-coding regions that regulate disease-driving cell states.
This investment aligns with broader industry trends, including similar high-value deals in the lncRNA space.
