Airna, a biotech startup, has raised $90 million to create RNA-editing treatments for AATD and other illnesses.

According to Airna, about 100,000 Americans suffer from AATD. Although there is currently no cure for AATD, weekly injections of AAT protein can help some individuals manage their condition.

Airna, which was co-founded by Professors Jin Billy Li of Stanford University and Thorsten Stafforst of the University of Tubingen, aims to close that gap by developing technology that can mobilize the enzyme adenosine deaminase acting on RNA, or ADAR, to alter RNA.

The attraction of a medication like AIR-001, according to Airna CEO Kris Elverum, is that it resembles biologic medications rather than experimental gene therapies that can be expensive to produce and permanently change DNA.

Although their data indicates that the physiological impacts of healthy variants they uncover can be replicated with a single RNA edit, Elverum stated that RNA editing will not be the answer for every condition and target.

Although co-founder Stafforst has published studies on the application of RNA editing in cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative disorders, the company has not revealed the specific conditions it is targeting outside of AATD.

Venrock and Forbion co-led the Series B round, with participation from investors including RTW Investments, Arch Venture Partners, and Nextech Invest. The company, Airna, successfully raised $90 million earlier in 2023 after emerging from stealth.

"Airna's new RNA editing technique has the unique potential to improve health across large populations by introducing healthy genetic variants for numerous illnesses," said Derk Kersten, a managing partner at Forbion, in a statement.