QurCan Therapeutics Enters Strategic Research and Collaboration Agreement with Lilly to Advance Nucleic Acid Therapies for Central and Peripheral Nervous System Diseases

Multi-program collaboration leveraging QurCan’s TERP™ polymer-lipid nanoparticle delivery platform

Lilly to make a strategic investment in QurCan

Toronto--(ANTARA/Business Wire)--QurCan Therapeutics (“QurCan”), a biotechnology company pioneering non-viral, polymer-lipid nanoparticle (PLNP) delivery of genetic medicines through its proprietary TERP™ (Target-Engineered Responsive Polymer) platform, today announced an exclusive research and collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”) for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). Lilly and QurCan will collaborate on multiple research programs focused on the development of PLNP-enabled genetic medicine therapeutics for CNS and PNS delivery. Through this collaboration, QurCan will be responsible for optimizing genetic medicine therapeutics using its TERP platform, and Lilly will be responsible for further research, clinical development, and commercialization of the selected programs.

“This collaboration with Lilly represents a validation of our PLNP technology platform and its potential to address some of the most challenging delivery problems in genetic medicine,” said Mohammad Ali Amini, Chief Executive Officer of QurCan. “The CNS and PNS remain among the most underserved areas in genetic medicine delivery, and we believe our non-viral approach offers a differentiated and versatile solution across various nucleotide cargos. We are thrilled to work with Lilly, a company with unparalleled expertise in neuroscience drug development and commercialization, to bring these therapies to patients who urgently need them.”

Under the terms of the agreement, QurCan will receive an upfront payment as well as a strategic investment from Lilly. QurCan is eligible to receive research support payments together with research, development and commercial milestone payments up to US$237 million per program in addition to tiered royalties on global net sales of commercialized products.

ABOUT QURCAN THERAPEUTICS

QurCan Therapeutics is a Toronto-based biotechnology company developing next-generation genetic medicines for diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems. QurCan’s proprietary TERP™ (Target-Engineered Responsive Polymer) platform enables repeat-dosable systemic and targeted polymer-lipid nanoparticle enabled delivery of mRNA, DNA, and oligonucleotide payloads to disease-relevant cell populations. For more information, visit www.qurcan.com.