Bayer-allied NextRNA Therapeutics winds down operations after missing a milestone in their collaboration

NextRNA Therapeutics, a Massachusetts biotech focused on targeting long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in oncology, is winding down operations after missing a milestone in its collaboration with Bayer1.

Bayer said it will continue the oncology program that had been pursued with NextRNA, remaining committed to exploring the target independently1.

NextRNA launched in 2022 with $56 million in combined seed and Series A financing and was built on research from Dana-Farber’s Carl Novina, M.D., Ph.D.1.

CEO Laurent Verhelle stated the Bayer partnership highlighted the potential of lncRNAs as a new class of oncology targets and expressed hope that NextRNA’s work will pave the way for others in the field1.

The shutdown adds to a list of 2025 closures among Massachusetts biotechs, including Lyndra Therapeutics, Octagon Therapeutics, iTeos Therapeutics, and HC Bioscience1.

Sources:

1. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/bayer-allied-nextrna-therapeutics-announces-plan-wind-down-operations