Molecure is focusing its financial and operational resources on the most promising clinical programs: OATD-01 and OATD-02, as well as on the development of a service using a drug discovery and development tool, co-financed under the FENG program
The Company has decided to discontinue the development of the RNA platform and to suspend all research activities related to this project
The decision to discontinue the program results from an analysis of the RNA platform development outcomes, which indicated that the assumed project objectives could not be achieved, particularly within the research methodologies and budgetary assumptions set out in the grant agreement and consequently that satisfactory commercialization of the RNA platform at this stage of development is not feasible
Molecure will submit a final payment application to the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) under the RNA project grant agreement (signed in December 2023). Based on its best knowledge, the Company believes it will not be required to return the funds already received from the PARP grant
Warsaw, 30 January 2026 r. – Molecure S.A. (“Molecure”, WSE ticker: MOC), a biotechnology company discovering and developing drugs up to the clinical stage, leveraging unique global expertise in medicinal chemistry and biology to identify and develop first-in-class small-molecule drugs that directly modulate protein activity in the treatment of numerous incurable diseases, has decided to close the RNA project and discontinue further research activities in this area.
The decision to close the RNA program was preceded by a detailed analysis of the scientific results, which demonstrated the lack of feasibility for further cost-effective and scalable development of the project within the methodological and budgetary assumptions defined in the grant rules.
Molecure will promptly submit a final payment application to PARP and conduct a formal settlement of the grant. Based on its best knowledge, the Company believes it will not be required to return the received and utilized funds, amounting to approximately PLN 30.73 million. At the same time, the Company will not utilize or receive (other than the final payment) the remaining portion of the awarded grant, amounting to approximately PLN 22.35 million.
Molecure’s available financial and operational resources will be redirected toward the development of clinical programs and the implementation of an AI-based program supporting the discovery and development of new drugs.
„We have decided to focus our activities on projects that are most critical for building Molecure’s value, namely the OATD-01 and OATD-02 programs and the development of an AI-powered drug discovery platform. At the same time, following an analysis of the results achieved to date within the RNA platform, we concluded that, given the analytical methods stipulated in the grant agreement and the adopted budgetary assumptions, the project did not offer realistic opportunities for further development toward repeatable, scalable, and economically efficient solutions with commercial potential within a reasonably near time horizon, which ultimately determined our decision to discontinue it. These conclusions were also supported by discussions with potential partners, for whom the project was still at too early a stage, meaning that the timeframe for executing a transaction and generating more tangible revenues would, in our assessment, extend beyond the next few years. Initial achievements in the RNA project, including the attainment of in vitro proof-of-concept for two molecules, demonstrating effective binding to the intended mRNA fragment and inhibition of pathological protein translation, were very promising. However, particularly within the original research plan and project budget envisaged in the grant, we encountered difficulties in progressing to the next development stage and validating the assumptions at a larger scale using reliable and reproducible research tools. The decision to close the RNA program represents another step toward optimizing the use of financial resources at Molecure and maintaining strong capital discipline.
Focusing on the OATD-01 and OATD-02 clinical programs and on developing AI competencies offers the greatest potential for building long-term value for our Shareholders. We are pleased with the accelerating pace of patient recruitment in the first-in-class OATD-01 program (the world’s first chitinase inhibitor), particularly in recent weeks, which indicates that achieving the planned interim analysis results for a group of 30 patients in 1H 2026 is highly realistic. Our second clinical study – OATD-02, in which oncology patients receive our dual arginase inhibitor is also progressing in line with the clinical protocol and is approaching final results” – said Marcin Szumowski, President of the Management Board of Molecure S.A.
Molecure has commenced the implementation of the project titled “Development of a new small-molecule compound discovery service with therapeutic potential using artificial intelligence models” in a consortium with the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The project received funding under the SMART Path. The grant agreement with the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) was signed in December 2025. The total project budget amounts to PLN 50.78 million, with total funding of PLN 35.72 million, of which PLN 27.03 million is allocated to Molecure. The project is planned for implementation between 2025 and 2029 and aims to significantly shorten timelines and reduce costs associated with drug discovery and development. Molecure expects that the developed service will also be offered to entities in the biopharmaceutical sector to support their drug development processes addressing unmet medical needs.
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About Molecure S.A.
Molecure S.A. is a biotechnology company discovering and developing drugs up to the clinical stage, leveraging its proprietary and unique expertise in medicinal chemistry and biology to identify and develop first-in-class small-molecule drugs that, through direct binding to previously unexplored protein targets, may offer therapies for many incurable diseases.
Molecure has generated a diversified portfolio of independent programs with the support of leading academic research institutions worldwide, including Yale University, Rutgers University, the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in Ghent, the University of Michigan, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB).
Molecure’s most advanced drug candidate is OATD-01, a first-in-class CHIT1 inhibitor intended for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, as well as MASH, currently in Phase II clinical trials.
The second drug candidate is OATD-02, an oral, selective, first-in-class dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer, whose Phase I clinical trial commenced with first patient dosing in Q1 2023.
Molecure’s headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw and Łódź. The Company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC).
For more information, please visit: molecure.com
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