Protalix BioTherapeutics Stock Gains on Secarna Partnership for Rare Kidney Disease Treatments

Biotech collaboration moves forward with AI-powered therapy development

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (PLX) shares climbed 2.78% to $1.85 in pre-market trading Wednesday, following the disclosure of a strategic partnership with Secarna Pharmaceuticals, a German biopharmaceutical innovator. The two companies have joined forces to create advanced antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies targeting rare kidney conditions.

**The Strategic Alliance & Technology Focus**

Under the agreement structure, Protalix identified high-potential pharmaceutical targets with critical biological functions in rare renal indications. Secarna, leveraging its proprietary OligoCreator platform—an AI-enhanced system for oligonucleotide discovery—will take the lead in designing and screening ASO candidate compounds. The partnership represents a meaningful convergence of Protalix's disease-selection expertise with Secarna's cutting-edge computational chemistry capabilities.

**License Terms & Commercialization Pathway**

The deal grants Protalix exclusive, worldwide rights to advance, market, and commercialize any resulting therapeutic programs through a tiered arrangement featuring milestone payments and royalty structures. Both organizations are positioned to shepherd these antisense oligonucleotide programs from preclinical research through clinical development phases, combining their respective strengths in rare disease biology and molecular innovation.

**What This Means for Rare Kidney Disease Patients**

The collaboration signals accelerated progress in an underserved therapeutic space. Rare renal conditions typically receive limited R&D attention due to small patient populations, making partnerships like this particularly significant. By pooling resources and technology platforms, Protalix and Secarna aim to compress development timelines and expand treatment options for patients with limited alternatives.