The pipeline of potential RNA medicines continues to grow following the messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccine, which validated these molecules as a therapeutic modality. Eclipsebio is part of this new field, but not the same. In academic and industrial laboratories, scientists are trying to find the best way to drug RNA or use it as a drug. Eclipse Bioinnovations provided insights that guided this research.
Eclipsebio has commercialized a technology that makes RNA maps detailing how molecules interact with proteins that bind to them. The company has already attracted small biotech companies and pharmaceutical giants.On Tuesday, the San Diego-based startup announced a $14 million investment A round financing to support its development.
Eclipsebio was co-founded by UC San Diego professor Gene Yeo, whose research has previously led to the launch of other biotech startups. Yeo is an RNA expert, and the technology that underlies Eclipsebio began with RNA research in his lab at UC San Diego. This technology, called eCLIP, identifies the binding sites of RNA-binding proteins. In 2016, Yeo and his colleagues post A paper in Nature Methods describes the use of eCLIP in more than 100 experiments covering a range of RNA-binding proteins. Eclipsebio CEO Peter Chu said Yeo was contacted by other scientists after that paper was published.
“Gene Yeo’s lab was inundated with requests to do eCLIP [analysis],” Chu said. “They just couldn’t handle it. This is the origin of the business. “
Yeo founded Eclipsebio in 2017.Of the two companies he previously co-founded, Enzerna and Locabio, with a focus on developing therapies that use RNA or target it. Eclipsebio doesn’t develop RNA drugs, but the startup helps companies that do. To develop drugs that target RNA-binding proteins, scientists need a deep understanding of the structure of RNA and where proteins bind to it. Chu, a Biogen veteran, said Eclipsebio’s technology provides insight into RNA, a complex molecule that has long been understudied as a drug target.
Eclipsebio operates as a service provider for companies or academic laboratories. The question they might want to answer is how a particular protein binds to RNA in the cell type of interest. Customers send cells to Eclipsebio and provide the company with information on antibodies that can bind to the RNA-binding protein of interest. Chu’s team handles processing, sorting, and data analysis. The final product provided to the customer is a comprehensive data package.
“This is a relatively new field, and it’s heading into unprecedented territory,” Chu said. “These tools exist at an academic level. These are advanced RNA technologies that are not commercially available as a service.”
In addition to eCLIP, Eclipsebio provides analysis using a technique called SHAPE, which looks at the structure of RNA to find pockets where small molecules can bind. This insight could help scientists determine where on the RNA they should target with drugs.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Genentech were among Eclipsebio’s first customers, helping to validate the startup’s approach, Chu said. The company has since added more life sciences industry clients, but Chu said he could not disclose them. Academic users include Harvard University, Stanford University, and New York University.
Eclipsebio’s initial research was supported by $4.5 million from multiple grants. The company also closed two previous seed rounds, the total dollar value of which remains undisclosed. With the new financing, Eclipsebio will develop more technologies, Chu said. For example, in the case of mRNA vaccine research, scientists want to know whether the protein is being translated. Chu said Eclipsebio will invest in developing the technology. The company will also build out its commercial team. Eclipsebio currently has 30 employees. Chu envisions adding another 10 to 15 employees over the next 18 months.
The Series A round was co-led by Alexandria Venture Investments and iGlobe. The other participants in the financing were Photon Venture Alpha and Phoenix Venture Partners.
Image of mRNA via Royalty Free, Getty Images
