GSK acquires Elsie Biotechnologies for oligonucleotide therapy

GSK has acquired Elsie Biotechnologies, an oligonucleotide therapeutics company, in a deal worth up to $50 million. Oligo therapy aims to modulate gene expression by binding a small strand of DNA or RNA onto longer RNA strands, to achieve effects that are not attainable with existing drugs. The companies began a research partnership in July 2023 to develop Elsie’s oligo drug discovery platform, which GSK licensed earlier this year. GSK says it is developing oligo therapeutics to treat chronic hepatitis B and steatotic liver disease.