Elsie Biotechnologies, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company unlocking the full potential of oligonucleotide therapeutics, entered into a research collaboration agreement with GSK plc to advance the discovery and development of Elsie’s oligonucleotide discovery platform with the aim of finding novel oligonucleotides optimized for safety, efficacy, and delivery.

Elsie will receive an upfront collaboration payment from GSK to conduct initial research activities. Upon exercising the option during the research term, GSK would be obligated to make further payments including licensing fees, development, and commercial milestones.

The collaboration combines GSK’s expertise in DNA encoded library technologies with Elsie’s drug discovery platform. Throughout the research term, GSK may exercise an option to a non-exclusive license from Elsie for the discovery platform and P(V) chemistry technologies to employ in GSK’s own oligonucleotide drug discovery research.

According to the company, Elsie’s discovery platform is an ultra-high throughput process that allows for the complete evaluation of oligonucleotide chemical space. By applying  encoding technology to oligonucleotide therapeutic candidates, all possible sequences or chemical modification patterns can be evaluated to increase activity, reduce toxicity, and improve delivery. Elsie also applies proprietary P(V) chemistry technologies, encompassing a suite of novel reagents and processes, to synthesize diverse oligonucleotide therapeutics with complete synthetic control.

Kevin Green, chief operating officer, Elsie Biotechnologies, said: “Our next generation oligonucleotide therapeutics, which include RNA medicines, enable new opportunities to treat intractable human diseases, including those with no current or limited therapeutic options. This collaboration combines GSK’s expertise as leaders in the field of DNA encoded library technologies with the unique capabilities of Elsie’s scientists and discovery platform with P(V) chemistry with the goal to discover new RNA medicines.”

Phil Baran, cofounder, Elsie Biotechnologies, said, “By leveraging all the tools across Elsie’s platform, we can explore the entire chemical oligonucleotide space and uniquely define inter-nucleotide linkages and stereochemistry to tune safety, activity, and delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics.”