Vivatides Therapeutics has completed a USD 10 million seed funding round led by Apricot Capital with participation from Qiming Venture Partners to advance its extrahepatic siRNA delivery platform. The Hong Kong-based startup, founded in 2025 by former Arrowhead and Ionis scientists, aims to overcome current limitations of RNA therapeutics that predominantly target liver tissues through N-acetylgalactosamine conjugation. Its proprietary delivery technology has demonstrated preclinical proof-of-concept in non-hepatic tissues, addressing unmet needs in neurological, renal and musculoskeletal diseases.

The platform holds potential to expand RNAi applications beyond hepatic targets, with initial programs focusing on central nervous system (CNS) and inflammatory disorders. Vivatides boasts one of few teams with both antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) and siRNA extrahepatic delivery experience from prior roles at Alnylam and Dicerna. The funding will accelerate lead candidate optimisation ahead of anticipated Investigational New Drug (IND) filings in 2026.

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