Tinker Wins Eli Lilly Genetic Medicine Grand Challenge

We’re honored to share that Tinker has won first prize in the Eli Lilly and Company Genetic Medicine Grand Challenge, hosted by the Nucleate program. Our novel therapeutic platform, which pioneers stringed oligonucleotide technology for multi-targeting RNAi, was recognized for its potential to treat complex brain disorders—including Alzheimer’s disease and Dravet syndrome.

Chosen from over 300 applicants and one of just 10 teams to present in the final round, Tinker’s approach addresses both amyloid and tau pathology in Alzheimer’s, as well as the SCN1A mutation in Dravet syndrome—demonstrating our ability to simultaneously modulate multiple genetic targets with a single therapeutic molecule.

The $100,000 award will accelerate our work in high-efficacy, multi-target RNAi, but even more meaningful is the opportunity to collaborate with Eli Lilly’s world-class scientific team as we explore the broader potential of our platform across neurological and other disease areas.

This recognition affirms what we believe deeply at Tinker: that the future of RNA therapeutics lies in programmable, precise, and combinatorial approaches to complex disease.

Jack Stahl, PhD, Dr. Andrew Adams, senior vice president and director of the Lilly Institute for Genetic Medicine, and Dr. Claes Wahlestedt