etherna's mRNA and LNP Platforms Propel Dropshot Therapeutics' Renal Target to the Clinical Stage

NIEL, Belgium, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- etherna, a leading provider of cutting-edge mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology across the biotech and pharma industry, today announces a major milestone in its ongoing partnership with Dropshot Therapeutics. Dropshot has officially decided to advance one of its selected targets in renal disease to the clinical stage, successfully validating etherna's platform technologies.

Moving forward, the collaboration will leverage etherna's extensive manufacturing capabilities. The partnership will now focus on manufacturing and producing GMP-grade material for IND enabling studies and intended Phase I clinical trials.

Executive Quotes

"We are pleased to see that Dropshot has achieved their preclinical milestones based on our nucleic acid and LNP platforms and has decided to move to the next steps. We will now support them fully in all manufacturing and regulatory steps needed to launch the clinical campaign in 2027."
— Bernard Sagaert, CEO of etherna

"Dropshot Therapeutics is committed to advancing innovation to address unmet medical needs in renal and cardiac diseases. We are very pleased with the results we have obtained. We are delighted to see the rapid progress of our collaboration, based on etherna's nucleic acid and LNP capabilities."
— Marijn Dekkers, CEO of Dropshot

About etherna

etherna is a leading technology platform company pioneering the development of mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technologies, including manufacturing up to GMP. Having evolved into a key strategic partner for the global life sciences industry, etherna supports projects from early research over development to GMP manufacturing.

Key commercial highlights:

• Decade of Expertise: Offers over 10 years of experience providing pharma and biotech partners with an integrated suite of proprietary platforms.
• Advanced Technologies: Utilizes advanced mRNA chemistry and customizable lipid nanoparticles (cLNPs) to enable the delivery of differentiated and efficacious RNA therapeutics.
• Strong Foundation: Founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
• Global Reach: Headquartered in Niel, Belgium, with specialized R&D facilities in Ghent and commercial operations in the U.S.

About Dropshot Therapeutics

• Dropshot Therapeutics is an early stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative RNA-based therapeutics for heart and kidney diseases.
• The company is based near Boston, USA and was co-founded in 2023.
• Its co-founders are Kenneth R. Chien, co-founder of Moderna and former Professor at Karolinska Institutet, and Marijn E. Dekkers, Chairman of Novalis LifeSciences and former CEO of Bayer and of Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2918167/5975431/etherna_Logo.jpg

SOURCE etherna