Wide-ranging A*STAR and SERI partnership will accelerate the development of novel developmental candidates in the areas of ophthalmology and oncology, and bioprocessing technologies to support their production
Ring Therapeutics, A*STAR, and SERI MOU Signing Ceremony November 2024
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 04, 2024 – Ring Therapeutics, a life sciences company founded by Flagship Pioneering to revolutionize gene therapy with its commensal virome platform, today announced new strategic partnerships with the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore’s lead public sector R&D agency; and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) to advance innovative R&D efforts and support the continued development of the biomedical science ecosystem in the region.
“The strategic benefits for the company are profound and span the entirety of the platform, from early discovery work where we plan to characterize novel anellovirus genomes to enable ophthalmology and oncology applications, to indication portfolio expansion via the testing of novel payloads across multiple therapeutic areas, to enhancing process performance for our next-generation manufacturing platform,” said Tuyen Ong, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer at Ring Therapeutics and CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering. “Through engaging a global ecosystem of R&D experts, these partnerships will further expand the potential of our Anellogy platform and aim to accelerate the clinical translation of our AnelloVector™ therapeutics.”
The A*STAR and SERI partnership will accelerate the creation of new potential treatments for eye diseases (ophthalmology) and cancer (oncology), while also improving the methods and technologies needed to produce these treatments. The collaboration will bring together synergistic expertise in scale-up manufacturing and capabilities for continued advancements of scientific breakthroughs and technological development in the region.
Professor Tan Sze Wee, Assistant Chief Executive, Biomedical Research Council, A*STAR, added, “We are excited to partner with Ring Therapeutics, whose pioneering platform technology complements our mission to advance innovative medicines. By bringing together our technologies and premier research capabilities, this collaboration holds great promise for translating groundbreaking discoveries into impactful therapeutic solutions for patients. We believe this strategic fit will foster continued scientific collaboration and inspire advanced R&D development within the Singapore biotech ecosystem, ultimately bringing impact and benefiting those in need.”
Professor Jodhbir Mehta, Executive Director, SERI, added, “Gene therapy presents an exciting opportunity to treat ophthalmic diseases that previously had no effective treatments. This partnership will allow SERI to further develop Ring’s novel class of viral vector that has higher tropism and is potentially redosable. We look forward to making significant strides in developing groundbreaking therapies that will reduce vision impairment.”
