Developing inhaled RNA medicines to treat cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis causes thick, sticky mucus to clog the airways, trapping bacteria and causing infections and inflammation. Daily care combines several therapies, but medicines that target the underlying protein defect work only for specific genetic mutations.
Aceso Therapeutics is developing ACT-101, an inhaled RNA medicine for cystic fibrosis. The preclinical candidate aims to increase CFTR protein production and function, for potential use alone or alongside existing treatments.
What stands out about Aceso Therapeutics
Aptar Pharma announced an ACT-101 collaboration; its Nanopharm business will lead inhaled formulation and device assessment.
ACT-101 preclinical studies using patient-derived epithelial cells demonstrated increased CFTR activity.
ACT-101 won the 2026 i-Lab competition; its founding project also won Montpellier’s 2025 PUI Innovation Award.
Aceso announced a research collaboration with the University of Montpellier and PhyMedExp to advance cystic fibrosis therapies.
Co-founder Magali Taulan-Cadars has a PhD in Toxicogenomics and over 20 years of rare-disease genetics experience, including CF.
Co-founder Prisca Boisguerin also co-founded ApoRepair, where she serves as CTO developing peptide-based treatments for myocardial infarction.
Originated from cystic-fibrosis research at Montpellier’s cell-biology and PhyMedExp laboratories, transferred into a startup with SATT AxLR support.
SATT AxLR incubated Aceso Therapeutics through its TTM Factory programme when the startup was created.
ANR funded the founders’ STABTHER research on oligonucleotide and peptide CFTR stabilizers, preceding Aceso’s incorporation.
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