Orna: turning circular RNAs into therapies

Orna emerged from stealth Wednesday with an $80 million A round to develop circular RNA therapies for cancer and genetic diseases that could be easier to manufacture than linear RNAs and immune cell therapies. MPM Capital, which seeded and incubated the start-up, and Taiho Ventures co-led the financing.

The widespread nature and regulatory functions of circular RNA have only begun to emerge over the past decade, and most research in the space has explored circular RNAs as biomarkers or drug targets. ...