Circio enters fully funded feasibility study with major global pharmaceutical corporation
Oslo, Norway, 18 November 2025 -- Circio Holding ASA (OSE: CRNA), a biotechnology company developing novel circular RNA expression technology for gene and cell therapy, today announces that it has entered an agreement with one of the major global pharmaceutical corporations to conduct a feasibility study of circVec-enhanced gene therapy. The feasibility study involves testing of Circio's circVec circular RNA expression technology for delivery with AAV vectors in a specific therapeutic area. The project will be performed by Circio and is fully funded by the pharmaceutical company. The agreement does not include any downstream rights or obligations on either party. "Following the presentation of pre-clinical data showing up to 40-fold advantage for circVec vs. conventional AAVs at major scientific conferences in 2025, Circio has attracted growing interest from a range of prospective gene therapy collaboration partners," said Dr. Erik Digman Wiklund, CEO of Circio. "Today, Circio has entered its first feasibility study with a major pharmaceutical company. This feasibility study will allow us to broaden the scope of our AAV gene therapy evaluation and serves as an important endorsement of the potential of the circVec platform. We are in parallel exploring opportunities to further expand our gene therapy activities through additional partnerships in other therapeutic areas where circVec has shown promise in pre-clinical studies."
About Circio Building circular RNA expression systems for enhanced gene and cell therapies
Circio Holding ASA is a biotechnology company developing novel circular RNA expression technology for gene and cell therapy.
Circio has established a unique circular RNA (circRNA) vector expression technology for next generation RNA, DNA and viral therapeutics. The proprietary circVec platform is based on a modular genetic construct designed for efficient biogenesis of multifunctional circRNA inside target cells. The circVec platform has applications in multiple therapeutic settings, including genetic medicine, cell therapy and chronic disease. It has demonstrated 75-fold increased RNA half-life and up to 40-fold enhanced protein expression vs. conventional mRNA-based viral and non-viral vector systems, with the potential to become a new gold-standard gene expression technology. The circVec R&D activities are being conducted by the wholly owned subsidiary Circio AB in Stockholm, Sweden.
In parallel, Circio is continuing to develop its legacy immuno-oncology program, TG01, through cost-efficient external academic and industry collaborations. TG01 targets RAS-mutated cancers and is being tested in two clinical trials in Norway and the USA. TG01 is a therapeutic peptide vaccine adjuvanted by STIMULON QS-21 licensed from Agenus Inc.
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to MAR article 17 and section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 2025-11-18 07:00 CET.
This stock exchange announcement was published by Mats Hermansen, VP Finance, on behalf of the Company, at the time and date stated above in this announcement.