miRecule, an emerging biotech company focused on the development of cutting-edge RNA therapeutics, announced today it has closed over $5.7M in seed funding. The funding round was led by Alexandria Venture Investments, along with Boutique Venture Partners, Pathway Bioventures, Alumni Ventures Group, and national angel investors, with additional funding coming from the Maryland Momentum Fund and the FSHD Society. This funding includes a non-dilutive $2M Phase II SBIR grant from the National Cancer Institute.

miRecule is a pre-clinical biotechnology company focused on the development of RNA therapeutics to treat a variety of diseases. miRecule has developed the DREAmiR genomics-based discovery platform to identify critical RNA targets for drug development in specific subsets of patients that would benefit from treatment. The company then creates proprietary chemically-modified RNA therapeutics with improved pharmacology, while utilizing antibodies for targeted delivery to the diseased tissue. miRecule's lead candidate, MC-30 for Head & Neck cancer, replaces the potent tumor suppressor activity of microRNA-30 which is lost in half of Head & Neck cancer patients. miRecule's second program, MC-DX4 for the treatment of Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). MC-DX4 eliminates expression of the DUX4 gene, which causes the disease in 95% of patients.