Expanding access to long RNA for next-generation therapies, biotech innovator Cirena has secured a license to the University of Colorado Boulder’s patented RNA synthesis technology.

 

This unlocks scalable access to high-purity RNA constructs ranging from 100 to 400 nucleotides—an advance poised to accelerate the development of next-generation therapeutics, as per the company.

 

The agreement brings to market a method pioneered at CU Boulder that enables the reliable synthesis of long RNA strands, a longstanding bottleneck for researchers working in CRISPR, functional genomics, and emerging RNA-based treatments.

 

At the center of the deal is a thionocarbonate-based chemistry that offers significantly higher yields than traditional phosphoramidite RNA synthesis methods. The technology enables the routine production of highly modified long and ultra-long RNA constructs—molecules that have historically been difficult to manufacture at scale.

 

"The underlying patent estate represents years of excellent foundational work at CU Boulder. By commercializing through Cirena, researchers worldwide will finally have dependable access to long and ultra-long RNA constructs that have historically been difficult or impossible to obtain at scale," said Bryn Rees (CU Boulder Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Partnerships).

 

Demand for longer RNA molecules has surged as gene-editing platforms and RNA therapeutics rapidly evolve.

 

"Demand for long and ultra-long RNA has grown rapidly as CRISPR, lncRNA and RNA-therapeutic programs advance, and this technology finally makes those constructs reliably accessible at scale," said Doug Dellinger, Cirena CEO. "This agreement with the University of Colorado expands our ability to provide high-purity long RNA to the global research community while maintaining rapid turnaround times."

 

The licensing deal marks a significant step forward for scientists developing next-generation RNA therapies, providing industry with a scalable platform capable of producing long, high-purity RNA constructs previously out of reach with conventional synthesis technologies.