Hongene Biotech Corporation, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in nucleic acid therapeutics, entered a non-exclusive licensing agreement with the UMass Chan Medical School to produce and supply extended nucleic acid (exNA) monomers and exNA-modified oligonucleotides for research use.

The agreement strengthens Hongene’s RNA chemistry portfolio and expands access to innovative oligonucleotide technologies for academic and biopharmaceutical researchers developing RNA interference (RNAi), antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), CRISPR guides, and other oligo-based modalities.

Developed by scientists at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan Medical School, exNA is a proprietary backbone modification that significantly enhances the durability and pharmacokinetics of oligonucleotide therapeutics, while maintaining compatibility with established small interfering RNA (siRNA) designs (Yamada et. al., 2025).

“This partnership reflects our strategy to bring next-generation RNA chemistries to market and support researchers working on the toughest delivery challenges in oligonucleotide therapeutics,” said Dr. David Butler, Chief Technology Officer at Hongene. 

“By enabling access to exNA for research, we hope to accelerate the development of RNA-based medicines for extrahepatic indications.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Hongene will apply its expertise in phosphoramidite manufacturing and oligonucleotide synthesis to make exNA phosphoramidites and custom exNA oligonucleotides available through its catalog and bespoke services.

The expanded access to exNA technology is expected to help advance research into more stable, tissue-specific RNA therapeutics and support the development of novel medicines targeting areas of unmet clinical need.