Almirall partners with etherna to develop mRNA-based therapies for severe skin diseases

Key takeaways:

• Etherna is a technology platform company devoted to mRNA construction and optimization.
• Etherna will receive an upfront payment from Almirall and milestone and royalty payments that could top 300 million euros.

Almirall has partnered with etherna for the development of mRNA-based therapies for the treatment of severe skin diseases, including nonmelanoma skin cancer, the companies announced in a press release.

Etherna is a technology platform company devoted to mRNA construction and optimization for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. According to the press release, the partnership between etherna and Almirall will focus on merging etherna’s proprietary mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology with Almirall’s leadership in the dermatology field.

“At Almirall, we always look for new solutions for patients suffering from skin diseases and we are thrilled about the strategic alliance with etherna to strengthen our pipeline with mRNA-based assets,” Karl Ziegelbauer, PhD, chief scientific officer of Almirall, said in the release.

While both companies will collaborate on research activities, Almirall will lead clinical development and commercialization. Etherna will receive an upfront payment for its technology as well as additional milestone payments and tiered royalties that could exceed 300 million euros, depending on global sales and commercial performance.