Boston, USA & Shanghai, China – March 9, 2026
Rapport Therapeutics and Tenacia Biotechnology have announced a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize the investigational neuroscience therapy RAP-219 in Greater China, marking a significant milestone in the global advancement of precision medicines for neurological disorders. Under the agreement, Tenacia Biotechnology will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize RAP-219 in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, while Rapport retains rights for the rest of the world. The collaboration includes a $20 million upfront payment to Rapport and up to $308 million in potential development and commercial milestone payments, alongside tiered royalties on future sales. The partnership is designed to accelerate clinical development of RAP-219 and expand its potential availability to patients suffering from epilepsy and other neurological conditions.
Strategic Collaboration to Accelerate CNS Drug Development
The collaboration between Rapport Therapeutics and Tenacia Biotechnology aims to combine Rapport’s innovative neuroscience drug discovery platform with Tenacia’s regional expertise in central nervous system (CNS) drug development and commercialization in Greater China. This partnership is expected to strengthen the global clinical development program for RAP-219 by enabling additional Phase 3 clinical trial sites in China, helping accelerate the advancement of the therapy for patients with serious neurological disorders.
Tenacia will be responsible for the clinical development, regulatory strategy, and commercialization of RAP-219 across Greater China, leveraging its experience in developing therapies for underserved neurological diseases. Rapport, meanwhile, will continue leading global research and development efforts outside the region, maintaining its broader strategy of advancing precision medicines targeting complex brain disorders. The collaboration not only enhances RAP-219’s global development pathway but also provides non-dilutive capital for Rapport to support its broader neuroscience pipeline.
RAP-219 Shows Promise for Neurological Disorders
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RAP-219 is a first-in-class TARPγ8-specific AMPA receptor negative allosteric modulator, a novel mechanism designed to precisely target neuronal pathways associated with seizure activity and mood disorders. Unlike traditional neurological medications that affect widespread brain receptors and may cause significant side effects, RAP-219 selectively targets TARPγ8 proteins expressed in specific brain regions such as the hippocampus and neocortex, areas strongly associated with the origin of focal seizures.
This precision-targeting strategy is intended to deliver effective seizure control while minimizing neurological side effects, a major challenge in current epilepsy therapies. The investigational drug is being developed primarily for focal onset seizures (FOS), but its mechanism may also support treatment for primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, bipolar mania, peripheral neuropathic pain, and other neurological conditions.
Clinical data generated from a Phase 2a study in patients with drug-resistant focal onset seizures demonstrated encouraging results. The trial showed a statistically significant reduction in long seizure episodes and clinically meaningful decreases in seizure frequency, suggesting that RAP-219 could provide a new therapeutic option for patients who do not respond adequately to current treatments. Importantly, the therapy was generally well tolerated, further supporting its advancement into larger late-stage studies.
Expanding Global Development and Market Potential
Rapport Therapeutics plans to initiate two global registrational Phase 3 clinical trials of RAP-219 in focal onset seizures during the second quarter of 2026, marking a key step toward potential regulatory approval. With Tenacia leading the program in Greater China, the collaboration is expected to accelerate patient recruitment and broaden the global clinical development footprint for the therapy.
Neurological disorders such as epilepsy and bipolar disorder remain major global health challenges, affecting millions of patients and creating significant unmet medical needs. Despite advances in neuroscience research, many existing treatments are limited by incomplete efficacy or undesirable side effects, making the development of targeted therapies like RAP-219 particularly important for improving patient outcomes.
The partnership between Rapport and Tenacia represents a strategic step toward bringing innovative neuroscience therapies to broader patient populations, particularly in rapidly growing pharmaceutical markets such as China. By combining scientific innovation, clinical expertise, and regional commercialization capabilities, the collaboration could significantly accelerate the development of RAP-219 and strengthen the global pipeline of treatments for neurological disorders.
If clinical trials confirm its efficacy and safety, RAP-219 has the potential to become a differentiated therapy for epilepsy and related neurological diseases, offering improved treatment outcomes through its precision neuroscience mechanism. The partnership also highlights the growing importance of international biopharmaceutical collaborations in advancing next-generation therapies for complex brain disorders, reinforcing the role of global partnerships in shaping the future of modern medicine.
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Source: Rapport Therapeutics press release
