ANRis raises 220 million yen for KRAS mutation cancer drug development

ANRis, a drug discovery venture specializing in nucleic acid therapeutics, has raised approximately 220 million yen from Waseda University Ventures (WUV) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

The company utilizes its proprietary ‘SNPD-siRNA’ technology, which is designed to distinguish between single nucleotide differences. This allows the technology to selectively suppress the expression of mutated genes while leaving normal wild-type genes unaffected, overcoming a significant limitation in existing siRNA technologies.

ANRis will focus its immediate development efforts on KRAS mutation cancers, which are associated with lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. The newly raised funds will be allocated toward the creation of drug candidates, non-clinical research, the optimization of drug delivery systems (DDS), and formulation development. Additionally, the company plans to invest in talent acquisition, strengthening intellectual property, and pursuing collaborative research and business alliances with pharmaceutical companies.