Targeting the dark genome to develop new therapies to fight obesity

Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

In the fall of 2024, Haya Therapeutics, based in Switzerland and San Diego, landed a $1bn deal with Eli Lilly to apply its long non-coding RNA (ncRNA) technology to obesity.

The company’s lead candidate, HTX-001, is making progress towards the clinic in cardiomyopathy. CEO Samir is one of the first researchers to publish on lncRNA – which is also known as the Dark Genome

This week, our podcast guest is Samir Ounzain, CEO and co-founder of Haya Therapeutics. Ounzain was one of the first researchers to publish on lncRNA, also known as the ‘dark genome.’

00:55-03:47: About Haya Therapeutics
03:47-06:37: What is the dark genome?
06:37-09:29: What is the connection between lncRNA and disease?
09:30-13:22: How can disease be addressed via the dark genome?
13:22-16:45: Which diseases are you tackling?
16:45-18:02: What is the EchoHAYA platform?
18:02-21:07: How does your lead candidate, HTX-001, work?
21:07-22:00: Is the objective stopping fibrosis or reversing it?
22:00-23:41: Other companies in the field
23:41-24:52: Working with Eli Lilly
24:52-27:15: A new frontier in medicine?
27:15-28:43: Cost effectiveness
28:43-30:07: Clinical trials
30:07-31:48: Applications to other diseases

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Chapters

1. Targeting the dark genome to develop new therapies to fight obesity (00:00:00)

2. About Haya Therapeutics (00:00:55)

3. What is the dark genome?
 (00:03:47)

4. What is the connection between lncRNA and disease?
 (00:06:37)

5. How can disease be addressed via the dark genome?
 (00:09:30)

6. Which diseases are you tackling?
 (00:13:22)

7. What is the EchoHAYA platform?
 (00:16:45)

8. How does your lead candidate, HTX-001, work?
 (00:18:02)

9. Is the objective stopping fibrosis or reversing it?
 (00:21:07)

10. Other companies in the field
 (00:22:00)

11. Working with Eli Lilly
 (00:23:41)

12. A new frontier in medicine?
 (00:24:52)

13. Cost effectiveness
 (00:27:15)

14. Clinical trials
 (00:28:43)

15. Applications to other diseases (00:30:07)