Valerio Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering next-generation precision-guided RNA therapeutics, announced the signing of a definitive share purchase agreement and of the related contribution agreement for the acquisition of 100% of the share capital and voting rights of Etherna Immunotherapies NV, based on an enterprise value of €30 million, and a €40.25 million private investment in public equity financing supported by existing shareholders and new investors.
The acquisition of Etherna marks a decisive step in Valerio’s strategy: to build a leading player in RNA therapeutics. By combining Etherna’s RNA and LNP platforms with our proprietary cell-targeting technologies, we are creating a powerful innovation engine designed to accelerate the development of next-generation RNA medicines. Most importantly, our combined platforms enable us to overcome a bottleneck that has held the field back for decades: reaching tissues beyond the liver and, in doing so, opening the way to the treatment of a broad range of diseases that have so far been beyond the reach of conventional mRNA delivery.
Gilles Besin, Ph.D., CEO of Valerio.
The acquisition marks a major milestone in Valerio’s strategy to build a leading platform in targeted nucleic acid medicines.
By uniting three complementary technology platforms – nucleic acid chemistry, LNP delivery and targeted moiety engineering – within a fully integrated biotech supported by in-house manufacturing capabilities, the acquisition aims to position Valerio to accelerate the development of next-generation RNA medicines targeting tissues beyond the liver.
Signing this agreement is a defining moment for Etherna, and I could not be prouder of what our team has built with the support of our investors. Over the past years, we have turned a decade of mRNA and LNP expertise into platforms capable of reaching far beyond what conventional mRNA and delivery and manufacturing technologies could ever achieve. Joining forces with Valerio gives that platform the scale, the targeting capabilities and the resources to move faster and further than we could alone. I want to thank our shareholders, partners and, above all, our people for their trust and dedication in getting us here. Together with Valerio, Etherna’s science and manufacturing will deliver transformative medicines to patients who need them most.
Bernard Sagaert, CEO of Etherna.
The contributions remain subject to Valerio shareholders approval at an extraordinary general meeting to be convened for that purpose expected to be held on or about October 6, 2026.
Approval is secured by irrevocable voting undertakings from existing shareholders representing more than 70% of the voting rights of the company.
The consideration for the Acquisition is based on an enterprise value of €30 million (on a debt-free, cash-free basis) subject to customary purchase price adjustments and contingent earn-out payments.
Etherna is a leading technology platform company pioneering the development of mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technologies, including manufacturing up to GMP grade.
With over a decade of expertise, the company provides pharma and biotech partners with an integrated suite of proprietary platforms, including customizable lipid nanoparticles (cLNPs) and advanced mRNA chemistry to enable the delivery of high-quality and efficacious Nucleic Acid based therapeutics.
Valerio Therapeutics is a pioneering biotechnology company specialized in the discovery and development of innovative targeted RNA therapeutics. The Company is listed on Euronext Growth Paris.
