MOTE Therapeutics (referred as MOTE), a seed-stage biotech developing targeted RNA delivery solutions, announced the appointment of MaryJane Rafii, PhD, MBA, as Chief Investment and Business Officer. The move comes as MOTE accelerates development of its MOBILIZE platform, a modular LNP technology designed for extrahepatic delivery of circular RNA (circRNA) and other complex payloads.
Dr. Rafii, a seasoned BD and capital strategist with over 15 years of global experience, will lead fundraising and partnership strategy as the company advances toward IND-enabling milestones. Her experience spans M&A, licensing, and fundraising across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the UAE.
“MaryJane brings a strong track record of scaling biotech platforms through smart capital and strategic alliances,” said Roc Cui, Chairman of Fapon and Co-Founder of MOTE. “She’s joining at a pivotal time in our trajectory.”
MOTE’s Pitch: Functional, precise RNA delivery without the covalent complexity
Founded by Fapon Group and Dr. Wesselhoeft (Orna Therapeutics), MOTE is taking aim at one of RNA’s most persistent challenges: cell-specific delivery beyond the liver. MOBILIZE LNPs use a bifunctional binder system—no chemical conjugation required—to enable rapid, mix-and-go assembly of targeted nanoparticles.
Recent preclinical highlights include:
- 80% reduction in liver uptake (enabling extrahepatic targeting)
- ~30% CAR+ CD8+ T-cell generation from a single low dose in NHP
- B-cell depletion via in vivo CAR-T in NHPs
- BBB-crossing delivery in CNS murine models
What’s next?
MOTE is raising >$40M in Series A funding to support IND-enabling work for in vivo CAR-T programs in autoimmunity and hematologic cancers, with IITs (Investigator Initiated Trial) planned in the second half of 2025 in China. The pipeline also includes programs in HSPC disorders and neurodegeneration.
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