Thalia Therapeutics has agreed a Sanmirna acquisition and £2.75m fundraise to accelerate its transition into a clinical-stage RNA therapeutics company in AML.

This announcement from Thalia Therapeutics plc combines an acquisition of Sanmirna Therapeutics with a conditional equity fundraise and is positioned by the company as a strategic step into clinical-stage development.

The transaction involves the acquisition of Sanmirna Therapeutics Inc, which holds exclusive licensed intellectual property and know-how relating to miRisten, an anti-microRNA-126 therapeutic candidate being developed for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The programme originated from work at City of Hope and is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial in relapsed/refractory AML patients.

The acquisition consideration comprises an initial £3.675m alongside deferred milestone payments of up to £13m, structured through a combination of share issuance and convertible loan notes. Alongside the deal, Thalia has raised £2.75m through a placing and subscription of new ordinary shares priced at 0.6p, with participation from both directors and external investors including Premier Miton. Directors accounted for a significant portion of the raise, subscribing for £1.1175m.

The company said the deal will immediately reposition its pipeline, expanding beyond its existing delivery and preclinical RNA programmes into a clinical-stage oncology asset. AML remains a high unmet need indication, with the company highlighting a global patient population of more than 22,000 annual US cases and a multibillion-dollar projected market opportunity.

Dr David Solomon, chief executive officer of Thalia, described the transaction as a step change for the business, saying:

“This is an exciting and transformative opportunity to accelerate our clinical-stage oncology pipeline and diversify our RNA therapeutics pipeline, providing us with an asset that advances our development timeline by several years compared with our pre-clinical progress to date. The Sanmirna acquisition is value accretive for Thalia shareholders, as it transforms Thalia into a clinical-stage company developing a promising novel therapeutic approach to treat AML, a disease with high unmet medical need. miRistentargets microRNA-126, which has been shown to play a critical oncogenic role in AML, a life-threatening cancer where satisfactory treatments have not been developed.”

He added that the group expects to build a more diversified RNA therapeutics portfolio, with multiple assets spanning different stages of development. The company now references three core programmes: Nuvec, its cardiovascular candidate, and miRisten following completion of the acquisition.

Top-line data from the ongoing Phase 1 study of miRisten is expected in H1 2027, positioning the asset as a near- to mid-term clinical catalyst within the enlarged group structure. The funding is intended to support operations through mid-2027, including completion of the early-stage clinical programme.

The board has stated that the acquisition and fundraise together are expected to strengthen the company’s clinical positioning and broaden its RNA therapeutics strategy, while maintaining focus on oncology and cardiovascular disease.