Rani Therapeutics nets $69M to transform injections into its easy-to-swallow ‘robotic pill’

San Jose unicorn Rani Therapeutics raises $69M for its robotic injection pills

Rani raises $69 million to convert injectable drugs into pill form

Rani Therapeutics Nabs $69 Million for ‘Robotic Pill’ Technology

WSJPro – Venture Capital
by Brian Gormley

Good day. Rani Therapeutics has corralled $69 million in new venture financing as it moves closer to its goal of enabling injected medicines to be taken as a pill.
Biological drugs, such as proteins and antibodies, typically would be broken down by chemicals in the stomach and intestines if taken orally. As a result, they usually must be given by injection to be effective.
San Jose, Calif.-based Rani, founded in 2012, has developed a “robotic pill” designed to enable patients to take biological drugs orally. After it is swallowed, the company’s capsule injects the drug into the intestinal wall. This injection is pain free, because the intestines don’t have sharp pain receptors, according to Rani. The injection enables the biological medication to enter into the bloodstream.
In its research, Rani has shown that its capsules enable therapeutic levels of biological drugs to get into the bloodstream, according to founder and Chief Executive Mir Imran. The company is developing a pipeline of potential biological therapeutics, including parathyroid hormone for osteoporosis.
With this financing, which brings its total venture funding to $211 million, Rani plans to conduct additional Phase 1 clinical trials in 2021, with later-stage studies beginning in 2022, Mr. Imran said.