ScionxBio launches from Eleven Therapeutics with new CEO

ScionxBio has emerged from stealth after a horizontal split from Eleven Therapeutics and named former CTO Dr. Adi Gilboa-Geffen as CEO. The Cambridge-based preclinical company is now focused on long-acting xRNA therapeutics for cardio-metabolic disease.

Why it matters: - ScionxBio is narrowing its focus to one high-stakes category: long-acting cardio-metabolic therapeutics. - The move could reduce dosing frequency for chronic disease patients and potentially lower the burden tied to repeat injections. - The company is betting that sustained protein expression from a single dose can translate into a new class of RNA medicine.

What happened: - ScionxBio emerged from stealth on July 2, 2026, after completing a strategic horizontal split from Eleven Therapeutics. - Dr. Adi Gilboa-Geffen, Eleven Therapeutics’ former CTO, was appointed CEO of ScionxBio. - Dr. Yaniv Erlich, co-founder and former CEO of Eleven Therapeutics, became ScionxBio co-founder and chairman of the board. - Shaul Ilan, a co-founder of Eleven Therapeutics, became ScionxBio co-founder, COO and board member. - The company is now operating as a Cambridge-based preclinical biotechnology company.

The details: - ScionxBio will develop its xRNA modality and cardio-metabolic asset pipeline under a single strategic focus. - The company’s platform is built on proprietary TERÅ® technology. - TERÅ® uses combinatorial chemistry and deep-learning architectures to engineer RNA molecules with greater structural stability and resistance to enzymatic degradation. - ScionxBio says the platform has shown sustained in vivo protein expression lasting weeks, not days, from a single xRNA administration. - The company is applying xRNA to cardio-metabolic disease, where long-acting and consistent protein expression could affect patient burden, treatment durability and immunogenic risk from repeat dosing. - ScionxBio describes itself as the continuation of Eleven Therapeutics’ xRNA mission, with a validated platform, defined pipeline and a single development focus. - The company has operated independently since January 2026, after Eleven Therapeutics completed the horizontal split. - ScionxBio’s website is the company’s announcement. - The company’s LinkedIn page is ScionxBio on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The split turns a broader therapeutics effort into a more focused bet on one modality and one disease area. - That structure may help ScionxBio concentrate resources on advancing chemistry, manufacturing and clinical translation. - Gilboa-Geffen’s move from CTO to CEO signals continuity on the science, with execution now centered on moving the platform toward the clinic. - The emphasis on long-acting expression suggests ScionxBio is aiming to compete on durability, not just delivery.

What's next: - ScionxBio says the next phase is building medicines after completing the science and validating the modality. - The company plans to take xRNA into the clinic. - The forward-looking statement in the release warns that actual results may differ materially from current expectations.

The bottom line: - ScionxBio is repositioning itself as a focused RNA therapeutics company with a new leadership team and a single mission: turn long-acting xRNA into treatments for cardio-metabolic disease.