Japan-based Ono Pharmaceutical has entered into a research collaboration agreement with US-based startup Jorna Therapeutics aimed at drug discovery using Jorna's proprietary ribonucleic acid (RNA) editing platform. Having completed the validation of this platform, Ono has begun the search for nucleic acid sequences that could serve as drug candidates.

Under the agreement, Jorna will design RNA editing drug sequences using its proprietary protein and RNA generative AI model, which is based on the quantum mechanics-based AI called SkyEngine.

Ono will have an exclusive option right to discover, develop, and commercialsze drug candidates generated by the sequences designed by Jorna worldwide. In addition to the upfront payment already made to Jorna, Ono will also pay for research funding and milestone payments based on the progress of the research.

"Jorna's unique generative AI technologies combine large-scale amino acid sequence information and language models to design desired proteins,” said Seishi Katsumata, Corporate Officer / Executive Director, Discovery & Research of Ono. “Through this partnership, we aim to accelerate drug development using RNA editing technology and provide new treatment options to patients around the world with unmet medical needs."

"This partnership is expected to accelerate efforts to bring RNA editing-based therapies to market by leveraging Ono's global resources and expertise," said Chengwei Luo, Founder and CEO of Jorna.