MOTE Therapeutics Taps MaryJane Rafii as Chief Investment & Business Officer to Drive Global Growth of RNA Delivery Platform

BOSTON, July 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MOTE Therapeutics (referred as MOTE), a seed-stage biotech developing targeted RNA delivery solutions, announced the appointment of MaryJane Rafii, PhD, MBA, as Chief Investment and Business Officer. The move comes as MOTE accelerates development of its MOBILIZE platform, a modular LNP technology designed for extrahepatic delivery of circular RNA (circRNA) and other complex payloads.

Dr. Rafii, a seasoned BD and capital strategist with over 15 years of global experience, will lead fundraising and partnership strategy as the company advances toward IND-enabling milestones. Her experience spans M&A, licensing, and fundraising across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the UAE.

"MaryJane brings a strong track record of scaling biotech platforms through smart capital and strategic alliances," said Roc Cui, Chairman of Fapon and Co-Founder of MOTE. "She's joining at a pivotal time in our trajectory."

MOTE's Pitch: Functional, precise RNA delivery without the covalent complexity

Founded by Fapon Group and Dr. Wesselhoeft (Orna Therapeutics), MOTE is taking aim at one of RNA's most persistent challenges: cell-specific delivery beyond the liver. MOBILIZE LNPs use a bifunctional binder system—no chemical conjugation required—to enable rapid, mix-and-go assembly of targeted nanoparticles.

Recent preclinical highlights include:

1. 80% reduction in liver uptake (enabling extrahepatic targeting)
2. ~30% CAR+ CD8+ T-cell generation from a single low dose in NHP
3. B-cell depletion via in vivo CAR-T in NHPs
4. BBB-crossing delivery in CNS murine models

What's next?

MOTE is raising >$40M in Series A funding to support IND-enabling work for in vivo CAR-T programs in autoimmunity and hematologic cancers, with IITs (Investigator Initiated Trial) planned in the second half of 2025 in China. The pipeline also includes programs in HSPC disorders and neurodegeneration.

"This is a delivery platform built to scale, with real data and broad applicability," Rafii said. "We're inviting partners to join us in pushing the boundaries of RNA medicine."

About MOTE Therapeutics

MOTE Therapeutics (referred as MOTE) is a next-generation RNA therapeutics company focused on solving one of the most fundamental bottlenecks in nucleic acid medicine: delivering RNA payloads—particularly circular RNA (circRNA)—to cells and tissues outside the liver. The company's proprietary MOBILIZE platform is a modular, scalable, and chemistry-free system for functionalizing LNPs with cell-targeting specificity. It enables targeted circRNA delivery to previously inaccessible cell types—unlocking treatments for intractable diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple myeloma, and plasma cell leukemia, hematopoietic stem cell disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Founded by Fapon Group and circular RNA pioneer Dr. Alex Wesselhoeft, MOTE combines cutting-edge delivery science with a global footprint spanning the U.S. and China.

About Fapon

Fapon is a global leading life sciences company dedicated to providing integrated solutions and services for diagnostics, biopharma and biotherapy. Integrating a one-stop solution on raw materials, reagents and innovative open instrument platforms, the Company has grown into a leading supplier in in-vitro diagnostics. Fapon boasts advanced innovations in therapeutics technologies and AI algorithm platforms with data insights that contribute to a better and healthier world. Supported by its strong global R&D, manufacturing, sales and service network, Fapon's products have established presence in over 70 countries and regions, serving more than 2,500 business partners worldwide.

Investor Contacts:

MaryJane Rafii ([email protected])
MOTE BD team ([email protected])

SOURCE MOTE