Targeting the dark genome to develop new therapies to fight obesity

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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