Bayer and Soufflé Therapeutics have entered a strategic collaboration to develop a heart-targeted siRNA therapy for a rare form of dilated cardiomyopathy, combining precision RNA delivery with cardiovascular expertise to address a major unmet medical need.
Written By: Sana Khan BPharm
Reviewed By: Pharmacally Editorial Team
Bayer and Soufflé Therapeutics have announced a strategic collaboration and global licensing agreement to advance a heart-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy aimed at a rare form of dilated cardiomyopathy. The partnership brings together Bayer’s cardiovascular disease expertise with Soufflé’s cell-selective genetic medicine platform, marking Bayer’s deeper entry into precision RNA-based therapeutics for heart disease.
A precision approach to dilated cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a serious condition in which the heart muscle weakens and enlarges, leading to reduced pumping ability and, in many cases, progressive heart failure. While current treatments focus on symptom control and slowing disease progression, options remain limited for patients with genetically driven forms of the disease.
Under the agreement, the two companies will co-develop a siRNA-based therapy designed to selectively silence disease-causing genes in heart muscle cells. By directly targeting cardiomyocytes, the approach aims to address the underlying molecular drivers of disease rather than downstream symptoms.
Why siRNA and why the heart
siRNA therapies work by harnessing the body’s natural RNA interference pathway to reduce the production of specific proteins. While the modality has already shown success in liver-targeted diseases, delivery to other organs, especially the heart, has remained a major technical challenge.
Soufflé Therapeutics focuses specifically on this problem. The company engineers’ cell-specific ligands that bind to receptors unique to target cells, enabling precise delivery of siRNA across cell membranes and into the intended tissue. In this collaboration, Soufflé’s platform will be used to deliver siRNA selectively to heart muscle cells, with the goal of improving efficacy, reducing off-target effects, and enabling more durable dosing.
Expanding Bayer’s precision cardiology strategy
For Bayer, the deal aligns with its broader ambition to build a precision cardiology portfolio that addresses high unmet needs in cardiovascular disease. According to Juergen Eckhardt, Head of Business Development and Licensing at Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Head of Leaps by Bayer, the collaboration also reflects Bayer’s interest in expanding into innovative therapeutic modalities such as siRNA.
The partnership builds on Bayer’s prior relationship with Soufflé, which included an earlier investment through Leaps by Bayer. Financial terms of the new licensing and collaboration agreement were not disclosed.
Combining platforms and expertise
Soufflé’s Chief Executive Officer Amir Nashat highlighted that targeted delivery remains one of the biggest barriers to effective RNA medicines. By combining Soufflé’s integrated technologies for receptor identification, ligand optimization, and siRNA engineering with Bayer’s deep experience in cardiovascular research and development, the companies aim to create a therapy that is both precise and clinically meaningful.
From Bayer’s research perspective, the collaboration strengthens early development efforts in cardiovascular, renal, and immunology diseases. The company views genetically defined cardiomyopathies as an area where targeted therapies could significantly change long-term outcomes for patients.
What next
The collaboration will initially focus on advancing a lead siRNA program toward preclinical and early clinical development. If successful, it could open the door to additional RNA-based therapies targeting heart disease, an area that has traditionally lagged behind other organs in genetic medicine innovation.
While timelines and development milestones have not yet been publicly detailed, the partnership signals growing momentum around RNA interference as a viable therapeutic strategy beyond the liver.
References
Bayer and Soufflé Therapeutics announce strategic collaboration to advance cell-specific heart-targeted siRNA therapy, 8 January 2026, https://www.bayer.com/en/us/news-stories/advancing-cell-specific-heart-targeted-sirna-therapy
Bayer and Soufflé Therapeutics announce strategic collaboration to advance cell-specific heart-targeted siRNA therapy, 8 January 2026, https://www.souffletx.com/news/press-releases/120826/
Tiziana Ciarambino, Giovanni Menna et.al, Cardiomyopathies: An Overview, Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jul 19;22(14):7722. Doi: 3390/ijms22147722, PMCID: PMC8303989 PMID: 34299342, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8303989/
Hadil Zureigat, Arwa Al Karaki et.al, siRNA: Mechanism of action, challenges, and therapeutic approaches, European Journal of Pharmacology Volume 905, 15 August 2021, 174178, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014299921003319