Rznomics, a developer of RNA-based drugs, will join Lilly Gateway Labs, a bio cluster run by Eli Lilly. The move follows a 1.9 trillion won ($1.4 billion) technology licensing deal the company signed with Lilly last year, and marks its entry into the drugmaker's research and development ecosystem as the two expand their partnership.
Rznomics said on the 24th that it will move into Lilly Gateway Labs in San Diego. Through the move, the company plans to accelerate development of therapeutic candidates using its bank of more than 200 target disease genes. Over the longer term, it plans to build global clinical infrastructure for its core pipeline, expand global partnerships and recruit specialized research staff in the United States.
Lilly Gateway Labs is an incubation program run by Lilly that provides research facilities and fosters collaboration through direct exchange with on-site researchers. It currently operates at six locations worldwide, including in the United States and China. Among Korean companies, Illimis Therapeutics moved into a Lilly Gateway Labs site in Boston last year.
"Joining a bio cluster led by Eli Lilly is a meaningful milestone for Rznomics' proprietary RNA platform," said Rznomics CEO Lee Seong-uk. "Building on active collaboration with the global bio ecosystem, we will advance the development and commercialization of our RNA therapeutics."
Meanwhile, Lilly disclosed a collaboration with Samsung Biologics early this year, formalizing plans to bring Gateway Labs to Korea. It aims to establish the facility within Samsung Biologics' second bio campus in Songdo, Incheon, by next year.
