What Hybridize Therapeutics does

Hybridize Therapeutics is a Netherlands-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, spun out of the Nephrology Department of Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in September 2019, that develops RNA-based antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics targeting polyomaviruses and Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cell (PTEC)-related kidney diseases. The company's pipeline includes lead asset HYB_BKV, an ASO targeting BK virus mRNA now in clinical Phase 1 for treatment of BK-virus-associated nephropathy in kidney transplant patients and hemorrhagic cystitis in stem cell transplant patients; HYB_JCV, targeting JC virus in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy; and an earlier-stage portfolio of PTEC-targetable programs addressing phosphate dysregulation, uric acid complications, ADPKD, and inflammatory/fibrotic kidney cascades. Its proprietary ASO platform enables chemically modified oligonucleotides with half-lives up to months, cell-type-specific conjugate delivery, and high target specificity against viral mRNA.

The company's business model is B2B licensing and partnership rather than direct commercialization. Hybridize develops programs through preclinical and early clinical stages and out-licenses them to pharmaceutical partners for late-stage development and commercialization in exchange for upfront payments, development and regulatory milestone payments, and tiered royalties on net sales. The defining commercial transaction is the February 2022 worldwide exclusive license to AiCuris Anti-infective Cures AG for HYB_BKV, worth up to €100M in upfront and milestones plus tiered royalties, with Hybridize retaining involvement through clinical study start. The company is headquartered at the Leiden Bioscience Park in Oegstgeest, operates with a 1-10 employee footprint, and is led by CEO Eline van Beest (former founder/CEO of Nightbalance, sold to Philips Healthcare) alongside founder and Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Eric van der Veer, with a scientific and strategic advisory board drawn from Alnylam, ProQR, Galapagos, Crucell, Santaris/Roche, and LUMC.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed and no product pricing exists; the company is pre-commercial. No institutional venture capital or equity fundraising rounds are named in the available sources, and ownership appears to remain with the founder and management, supplemented by milestone-based licensing income from AiCuris. End markets are segmented into kidney transplant patients (primary), hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients, severely immunocompromised neurological patients, and broader chronic kidney disease populations — collectively addressing indications where 790K+ people live with kidney failure in the US, Medicare spends $130B annually on chronic kidney disease, and BKV alone destroys approximately 10% of transplanted kidneys.

Name

Hybridize Therapeutics

Legal name

Hybridize Therapeutics

Website

https://hybridizetherapeutics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hybridize Therapeutics is a Netherlands-based biotech spin-off from LUMC developing RNA-based antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics for kidney diseases, targeting BK and JC polyomaviruses plus Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cell-related conditions, with its lead HYB_BKV program out-licensed to AiCuris in a deal worth up to €100M.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RNA-based Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutics

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Antisense Oligonucleotides (ASO) Therapeutics (splice modulation/knockdown) (HLAAADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics) (HLAAADAG), Nephrology & Urology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAH), RNA Therapeutics Clinical Development (trial design, endpoints, patient stratification) (HLAAADAH), RNA Chemistry & Oligonucleotide Engineering (backbones, modifications, stereochemistry) (HLAAADAE)

Keywords

• RNA-based therapeutics
• Antisense oligonucleotide therapy
• Kidney disease treatments
• Polyomavirus antiviral therapy
• Biopharmaceutical drug development

Headquarters

HQ city

Leiden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing and milestone payments: Hybridize receives upfront payments and milestone payments from licensees upon achievement of development, regulatory, and commercialization goals. The €100M AiCuris deal exemplifies this model with upfront payment plus development milestones up to €100M total plus tiered royalties on net sales.
2. Royalty income: Tiered royalties on net sales from commercialized products developed under licensing agreements, such as the AiCuris partnership for BK-virus therapy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hybridize Therapeutics develops kidney-targeted RNA-based antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics for the treatment of acute and chronic kidney diseases. Its pipeline includes direct-acting antiviral therapies targeting BK virus (HYB_BKV, in clinical Phase 1) and JC virus (HYB_JCV) for immunocompromised transplant patients, plus a broader PTEC-targetable program addressing chronic kidney diseases such as ADPKD, cardiorenal complications, and inflammatory/fibrotic cascades. The company discovers and develops programs through preclinical/early clinical stages and out-licenses them to larger pharmaceutical partners for late-stage development and commercialization.

Product overview

Hybridize Therapeutics is a spin-off from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) developing a portfolio of kidney-targeted RNA-based therapeutics. The company's pipeline includes two core antisense oligonucleotide programs: HYB_BKV (in clinical Phase 1) for treatment of BK virus infections in transplant patients, and HYB_JCV targeting JC virus. Additionally, the company is developing PTEC-targetable disease programs addressing kidney monogenic diseases, inflammation, and fibrosis. All programs leverage the company's ASO technology platform that enables targeted delivery with high specificity and extended half-life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HYB_BKV (BK Virus Program)
• HYB_JCV (JC Virus Program)
• PTEC-Targetable Disease Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• BK viral infection destroys approximately 10% of all transplanted kidneys
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AiCuris Anti-infective Cures AGcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 9 February 2022Worldwide licensing agreement for Hybridize's BK virus (BKV) program. AiCuris acquired exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the RNA-based antisense therapy for treatment of BK virus-mediated nephropathy in renal transplant patients. Hybridize received upfront payment and milestone payments of up to €100M total based on successful achievement of development, regulatory, and commercialization goals, plus tiered royalties on net sales. Both companies collaborate on further development until start of clinical studies.
• Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Hybridize Therapeutics is a spin-off from the Nephrology Department at LUMC. LUMC has been a frontrunner in both Nephrology and RNA-based medicine since 1943. Prof. Dr. Willem Kolff (inventor of kidney dialysis machine) and Prof. Dr. Jacques van Boom (pioneering role in oligonucleotide chemistry) were associated with LUMC. Dr. Eric van der Veer founded Hybridize based on his research (2007-2019) in the Nephrology Department.
• Starfish InnovationsminorOthersListed as a collaborator/partner on the company website under the Network section.
• Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)minorOthersListed as a collaborator/partner on the company website under the Network section.
• University of North Carolina (UNC)minorOthersListed as a collaborator/partner on the company website under the Network section.
• Dutch Kidney Foundation (Nierstichting)minorOthersListed as a collaborator/partner on the company website under the Network section.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Galapagos NV: Belgian/Dutch biopharma with deep ties to Hybridize's scientific board (Onno van de Stolpe, Dr. Andre Hoekema). Comparable as an ecosystem/biotech peer in the Leiden/Belgian-Dutch life-sciences cluster with overlapping oligonucleotide and nephrology-adjacent expertise.

Broad incumbents

• Sarepta Therapeutics: Commercial-stage RNA-based therapeutics company with antisense and gene-therapy assets across rare genetic diseases. Comparable as an established RNA drug developer with regulatory and commercialization experience relevant to Hybridize's licensing model.
• Ionis Pharmaceuticals: Pioneer and leader in antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics with multiple approved and clinical-stage RNA drugs. Comparable as the established incumbent in the same ASO modality Hybridize leverages.
• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals: Market-leading RNA therapeutics company (siRNA) and key reference for Hybridize's scientific board (former CEO John Maraganore). Comparable as the dominant RNA therapeutics franchise shaping the field in which Hybridize competes.

Direct peers

• ProQR Therapeutics: Clinical-stage Dutch biotech developing RNA-based oligonucleotide therapeutics, with strong overlap in antisense-platform technology and shared advisors/leaders with Hybridize. Most directly comparable in modality and therapeutic ambition around kidney and rare diseases.
• Wave Life Sciences: Clinical-stage company developing stereopure oligonucleotide therapeutics, sharing the RNA-oligonucleotide modality and stereochemistry/chemistry focus that drives Hybridize's platform differentiation.
• Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage RNA therapeutics developer using targeted delivery platforms (TRiM) for kidney, liver, and other indications. Closely comparable on RNA modality plus targeted-delivery approach relevant to Hybridize's PTEC strategy.

Emerging players

• Chimerix: Antiviral-focused biotech developing therapies for transplant recipients including BK virus and other opportunistic infections. Comparable for the transplant antiviral patient overlap and indication focus.
• Stoke Therapeutics: Clinical-stage company developing antisense oligonucleotides that modulate RNA splicing for severe genetic diseases. Comparable for the splice-modulation mechanism referenced in Hybridize's BKV program and ASO delivery experience.

Regional players

• AiCuris Anti-infective Cures AG: German specialty anti-infectives biotech that licensed HYB_BKV from Hybridize for up to €100M. Comparable as a partner/peer in antiviral clinical development for transplant-related viral infections.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hybridize-therapeutics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hybridize Therapeutics