Almirall and etherna enter into a multi-target alliance to develop mRNA-based therapies in medical dermatology

BARCELONA, Spain and NIEL, Belgium. December 12th 2023 – Almirall, S.A. (ALM), a global pharmaceutical company focused on medical dermatology, and etherna, an mRNA/LNP technology platform company, announced today a multi-target alliance to discover and develop new mRNA-based therapies for severe skin diseases, including non-melanoma skin cancer.

The alliance combines and leverages etherna’s innovative proprietary mRNA capabilities and LNP formulations with Almirall’s leading expertise in medical dermatology to accelerate discovery of novel treatment options. Delivery of LNP-formulated mRNA for transient and local translation of therapeutic proteins offers a unique opportunity to encode for multiple therapeutically active components in a single treatment.

Etherna and Almirall will work collaboratively on the research activities, while Almirall will lead clinical development and commercialization. Under the terms of the agreement, etherna will receive upfront and technology access payments. In addition, etherna is eligible to receive success-based development and commercial milestone payments that could exceed €300 million contingent upon launch and commercial success of multiple products, as well as tiered royalties based upon future global sales. Further financial details were not disclosed.

Dr. Karl Ziegelbauer, Chief Scientific Officer of Almirall, stated: “At Almirall, we always look for new solutions for patients suffering from skin diseases and we are thrilled about the strategic alliance with etherna to strengthen our pipeline with mRNA-based assets.”

Bernard Sagaert, CEO of etherna, stated: “We are excited to partner with Almirall to advance mRNA therapeutics into medical dermatology. Almirall and etherna share the vision that intradermal application of LNP-formulated mRNA is a highly promising strategy to bring novel, efficacious new treatment options that will deliver huge benefits to patients.”

About etherna

etherna is an mRNA technology platform company with integrated capabilities in mRNA construct design and optimization, customized lipid nanoparticles (cLNP) formulations tailored for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, and process technology for manufacturing. The company believes that customized LNPs are critical enablers in advancing mRNA technologies to new levels of prophylactic and therapeutic utility. Etherna’s proprietary platform provides answers to end-to-end solutions for next generation mRNA therapeutics. The company has its Headquarters, R&D and manufacturing facilities in Belgium, and its commercial office in Boston, MA, USA.

For more information, please visit https://www.etherna.be/

About Almirall

Almirall is a global pharmaceutical company focused on medical dermatology. We collaborate with scientists and healthcare professionals to address patient's needs through science to improve their lives. Our Noble Purpose is at the core of our work: "Transform the patients' world by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life". We invest in differentiated and ground-breaking medical dermatology products to bring our innovative solutions to patients’ needs.

The company, founded in 1944 and headquartered in Barcelona, is publicly traded on the Spanish Stock Exchange (ticker: ALM). Throughout its 79-year history, Almirall has retained a strong focus on the needs of patients. Almirall has a direct presence in 21 countries and strategic agreements in over 70, with about 1,800 employees. Total revenues in 2022 were 863.2 million euros.

For more information, please visit almirall.com

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This document includes only summary information and is not intended to be exhaustive. The facts, figures and opinions contained in this document, in addition to the historical ones, are "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on the information currently available and the best estimates and assumptions that the company considers reasonable. These statements involve risks and uncertainties beyond the control of the company. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from those declared by such forward-looking statements. The company expressly waives any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, goals or estimates contained in this document to reflect any changes in the assumptions, events or circumstances on which such forward-looking statements are based, unless required by the applicable law