Achievement of research milestone for immune program triggers milestone payment to Jnana and handover to Roche 

BOSTON, February  24, 2026 – Jnana Therapeutics,a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging its next-generation RAPID chemoproteomics platform, announces the achievement of a second pre-clinical milestone from its first collaboration agreement with Roche (SIX:RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY). 

Jnana has advanced a Roche-partnered immune program to an additional pre-clinical milestone, triggering a milestone payment to Jnana and handover to Roche. This is a first-in-class small molecule that uniquely inhibits a protein-protein interaction. The program is part of the first collaboration agreement between Jnana and Roche, which was signed in July 2020 and aims to discover and develop novel small molecule medicines for the treatment of immune-mediated and neurological diseases by targeting solute carrier (SLC) metabolite transporters. In late 2022, Jnana and Roche extended this relationship by entering into a second collaboration and license agreement to discover novel small molecule drugs directed to a diverse range of target classes beyond the SLC family in cancer, immune-mediated and neurological diseases.

“We are proud and excited that the first program from our collaboration has progressed,” said George Vratsanos, M.D., president & CEO of Jnana. “This milestone underscores the strength of our RAPID platform in addressing some of the most challenging targets and also highlights the exceptional dedication and scientific rigor of our discovery team.” 

About Jnana Therapeutics

Jnana Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging its next-generation RAPID chemoproteomics platform to discover medicines for highly validated, challenging-to-drug targets to treat diseases with high unmet needs. Jnana is focused on developing first- and best-in-class oral therapies to treat a wide range of diseases, including rare diseases and immune-mediated diseases. 

Repinatrabit (JNT-517), a compound Jnana advanced through Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical development, targets an allosteric site on the phenylalanine transporter SLC6A19. The ongoing Phase 3 pivotal trial is being conducted and sponsored by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. Repinatrabit is a potential first-in-class oral approach for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic metabolic disease. Located in Boston, Jnana brings together scientific leaders in small molecule drug discovery, and a highly experienced management team. For more information, please visit www.jnanatx.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

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