Next-Generation RNA company Inverna Therapeutics is launched
The newly formed company will use splicing technology to develop safer and more effective RNA medicines for severe genetic illnesses
On January 7, 2025, Argobio shared the exciting news about the launch of Inverna Therapeutics, a new biotech company based in Denmark that focuses on innovative RNA therapeutics, co-founded with the University of Southern Denmark. The new company will concentrate on serious genetic disorders, starting with Huntington’s disease, for which it has a primary program.
Inverna’s technology platform is based on research by Professor Brage S. Storstein Andresen, a specialist in RNA splicing and antisense technology, who is also the co-founder and chief scientific officer at Inverna. Inverna aims to address the challenges of traditional RNA therapies by utilizing sequence-based splice modulation. This approach will enable the company to develop safer and more effective treatments for various serious diseases, as stated in a press release.
“We are excited to share Inverna with everyone,” said Poul Sørensen, CEO of Inverna and partner and entrepreneur-in-residence at Argobio, in the release. “Our team, along with the solid backing of Argobio and the University of Southern Denmark, is in a great position to create impactful therapies that tackle important medical challenges.” Using our unique understanding of RNA splicing modulation, our pseudo-exon targeting technology provides a possible answer to the challenges faced by current RNA therapeutics. It allows for accurate, sequence-based, and allele-specific targeting while keeping off-target effects to a minimum.
Argobio is a biotech start-up studio located in Paris, and it has been significant in the creation of Inverna. The studio gathers early-stage therapeutic projects from top European academic research institutions, concentrating on rare diseases, neurological disorders, oncology, and immunology. Argobio picks and nurtures these projects to turn them into complete biotech companies and help them reach important Series A funding. The studio has a lot of knowledge in creating and developing new drugs, thanks to a team of skilled biotech entrepreneurs. Argobio helped Inverna speed up the growth of its innovative RNA pipeline by providing an initial investment, strategic advice, and operational know-how.
“It’s great to be able to turn our years of research on pre-mRNA splicing regulation in human disease into new RNA precision medicines,” said Andresen in the release. “We are thrilled to share our new discovery engine, which will help us create RNA therapeutics for diseases that currently have no treatment.”
Argobio creates businesses to meet essential healthcare demands. According to Thierry Laugel, chairman at Argobio and managing partner at Kurma Partners, the companies that are created focus on groundbreaking scientific discoveries and creative methods.
“We are excited to turn another great academic project into a successful industry player.” Inverna aligns seamlessly with our approach, benefiting from advanced scientific knowledge and our specialized skills in developing and managing biotech firms,” Laugel stated in the announcement.
The University of Southern Denmark played a key role in establishing the scientific foundation for Inverna’s creative method.
“Inverna Therapeutics shows how the University of Southern Denmark is dedicated to turning top-notch research into meaningful outcomes," stated Thomas Schmidt, head of Technology Transfer at the university, in the press release. “Working together with Argobio and under the guidance of Professor Brage Storstein Andresen, we are excited to help create innovative treatments that meet important medical needs.”
Source: Argobio
