Circurna, GATC Health to Use AI for Discovery of Circular RNA Therapeutics

Single strand ribonucleic acid, RNA research and therapy | Image Credit: © nobeastsofierce - stock.adobe.com

Houston-based Circurna and Irvine, Calif.-based GATC Health have announced an agreement aimed at accelerating discovery and optimization for Circurna’s circular RNA therapeutics, under the proprietary name ciRNA, by applying GATC Health’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) platform (1).

Circular RNA’s potential

According to an Aug. 26, 2025 press release, circular RNA is emerging as a next-generation therapeutic modality due to its ability to offer both enhanced stability and protein expression compared to traditional messenger RNA (mRNA) (1). The GATC AI platform will be tasked with optimizing key components of Circuna’s therapeutic portfolio, such as validated lipid nanoparticle designs for thermostability, targeting ligands for specific cell and tissue delivery, and improved payload candidates.

"Circurna represents an exciting innovation in RNA science, and their choice of GATC will accelerate their path to success in this rapidly evolving field,” Jayson Uffens, co-founder and chief technology officer of GATC Health, said in the press release (1). “By applying our innovative AI models to Circurna’s cutting-edge ciRNA platform, we expect to help them unlock faster timelines, greater precision, and ultimately, a stronger position in the rapidly evolving RNA field."

The terms of the agreement specify that GATC Health will receive a combination of cash and equity compensation, in addition to milestone-based incentive payments (1).

How is AI impacting research and partnerships?

Among the industry developments centered around AI thus far in 2025 are the following:

• PostEra increased its partnership with Pfizer to a total value of $610 million primarily through the launch of a new antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) collaboration through which PostEra’s AI platform, Proton, is being leveraged in the advancement of a number of programs including small-molecule therapeutics as well as ADCs (2).
• Lantern Pharma said it is making advancements in the application of its proprietary AI and machine learning platform, known as RADR, to accelerate and optimize development of ADCs (3).
• Incyte announced a strategic collaboration with Genesis Therapeutics for the purposes of researching, discovering, and developing novel small-molecule medicines, making use of generative and predictive AI technology to help create therapeutics for various targets (4).
• Sonrai Analytics and Paige announced a strategic partnership that both parties said will allow researchers, pathologists, and clinicians in the bio/pharmaceutical space to harness emerging AI capabilities for R&D of precision medicines (5).
• AstraZeneca announced its entry into a strategic research collaboration with CSPC Pharmaceuticals Group, calling for CSPC to conduct the research using its AI-driven, dual-engine efficient drug discovery platform (6).
• Proteros biostructures announced an agreement with Qanatpharma, Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB), and Enamine to launch a research collaboration intending to leverage innovations from all four partners—notably, ZIB’s AI-based generative ligand design—to accelerate discovery of novel therapeutics targeting cerebral perfusion deficits associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (7).
• An AI drug discovery collaboration between Almirall and Absci was expanded with Almirall’s selection of a second target aimed at dermatological indications (8).

In addition, Boston-based Aris Global signed the AI Pact, a voluntary framework created by the European Commission for stakeholders to prepare for the European Union’s implementation of its AI Act; Google introduced a new AI system designed to help scientists generate novel hypotheses and research proposals; and a $10 million award was announced for the Longitude Prize on ALS, for new, worldwide approaches based on AI technology that are on the cutting edge of drug discovery for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (9–11).

mRNA a recent hot topic

RNA-based medicines have also been in the news, specifically in the United States and particularly those using mRNA, after the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Aug. 5, 2025 that it was launching a coordinated wind-down of all of its mRNA vaccine development activities under the auspices of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) (12).

While there have been more direct aftershocks of that decision, one vaccine-related item came in the form of a stop work order placed by Advanced Technology International, a nonprofit manager of R&D collaborations, on enrollment in a Phase IIb trial of Vaxart’s oral pill vaccine candidate against COVID-19 (13).

A Vaxart spokesperson confirmed to Pharmaceutical Technology® Group that although BARDA was behind that halt as well, Vaxart’s drug candidates are not mRNA-based.

“In addition to its COVID-19 program, Vaxart continues to advance its Phase I clinical norovirus and preclinical avian influenza programs, neither of which are BARDA-funded,” Vaxart said in a company statement provided to PharmTech Group (14).

For more industry-wide reactions to HHS’ policy change regarding mRNA, read this compilation of responses from experts polled by PharmTech Group.

References

1. GATC Health. Circurna Engages GATC Health for AI-Powered Discovery to Accelerate ciRNA Circular RNA Therapeutics. Press Release. Aug. 26, 2025.
2. PostEra. PostEra Announces Expansion to $610M in Their AI Drug Discovery Collaboration with Pfizer. Press Release. Jan. 8, 2025.
3. Lantern Pharma. Lantern Pharma Unveils Innovative AI-Powered Module to Improve the Precision, Cost and Timelines of Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) Development for Cancer. Press Release. Jan. 27, 2025.
4. Incyte. Incyte and Genesis Therapeutics Announce Strategic AI-focused Research Collaboration. Press Release. Feb. 20, 2025.
5. Sonrai Analytics. Sonrai and Paige Partner to Bring Advanced Machine Learning Capabilities to Biopharma. Press Release. April 16, 2025.
6. AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca Enters Strategic Collaboration with CSPC Pharmaceuticals Focused on AI-Enabled Research. Press Release. June 13, 2025.
7. Proteros biostructures. Qanatpharma, Zuse Institute Berlin, Enamine, and Proteros biostructures Announce Generative-AI Driven Lead Discovery Collaboration. Press Release. July 9, 2025.
8. Almirall. Almirall and Absci Expand AI Drug Creation Collaboration adding a Second Dermatology Target. Press Release. Aug. 7, 2025.
9. ArisGlobal. ArisGlobal Signs EU AI Pact in Latest Commitment to Ethical AI Practices. Press Release. Feb. 12, 2025.
10. Gottweis, J.; Natarajan, V. Accelerating Scientific Breakthroughs with AI Co-Scientist. Blog Post. Google Research. Researchgoogle. Feb. 19, 2025.
11. Challenge Works. Longitude Prize on ALS Launches to Award $10 million to AI Drug Target Discoveries for Most Common Form of MND. Press Release. June 25, 2025.
12. HHS. HHS Winds Down mRNA Vaccine Development Under BARDA. Press Release. Aug. 5, 2025.
13. Lavery, P. After mRNA Rollback, BARDA Pulls Plug on Vaxart Oral COVID Vaccine Trial. BioPharmInternational.com, Aug. 12, 2025.
14. Comments received via email correspondence, Aug. 13, 2025.