Emvena Therapeutics has emerged from stealth with backing from the Penn-BioNTech Innovative Therapeutics Seed Fund (PxB Fund) to advance an experimental approach to treating preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication that can pose serious risks to both mothers and babies.

The Philadelphia-based biotechnology company was co-founded by Kelsey Swingle, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Rice University, and is built around technology developed during her doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania. The PxB Fund partnered with the founders to establish the company and support development of the platform.

Preeclampsia affects an estimated 2% to 8% of pregnancies worldwide. Current management largely involves close monitoring and treatment of symptoms, with delivery often the only definitive option. Emvena is pursuing a different strategy: targeting biological mechanisms in the placenta that contribute to the condition, with the longer-term objective of developing a treatment that addresses the disease process itself.

The company’s platform uses specialized lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver therapeutic payloads to the placenta. LNPs are also used in certain mRNA medicines, but Emvena’s approach is designed to direct delivery to placental tissue.

In preclinical mouse studies, researchers used the platform to deliver messenger RNA encoding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to the placenta. The treatment was associated with a reversal of elevated blood pressure and improvements in measures of placental and fetal health. The findings provide an early basis for further development, although additional research will be required to determine whether the approach can demonstrate safety and efficacy in humans.

“Building a company around this technology gives us the opportunity to advance a promising scientific approach toward a potential treatment for pregnancy-related diseases, an area of significant unmet medical need,” says Young T. Kwon, Emvena co-founder, CEO and executive chair. He said the company’s placenta-focused delivery strategy is intended to support development of therapies that could improve outcomes for mothers and their babies.

Swingle is also a member of the Rice Biotech Launch Pad, a Houston-based accelerator that helps move university research toward commercial development. She said the program provided experience and perspective on the process of building a company while continuing an academic career.

Turning laboratory research into a clinical-stage product requires more than scientific validation, Swingle notes, including a team with the expertise to guide development and commercialization. She said she is looking forward to advancing the technology into its next phase.

Omid Veiseh, Rice professor of bioengineering and faculty director of the Rice Biotech Launch Pad, said supporting researchers as they develop business skills and industry connections is an important part of building the biotechnology sector. He cited Swingle’s work as an example of how university research can serve as the starting point for a company addressing an unmet medical need.

Emvena’s founding team also includes Michael Mitchell, co-founder and professor of bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania; Hannah Safford, co-founder and director of research and development; and Dr. Allison August, co-founder and senior clinical adviser. Anna Turetsky, a general partner at the PxB Fund, serves on the company’s board of directors.

Founded in 2026, Emvena is developing placenta-targeted mRNA medicines for serious maternal and fetal disorders. Its lead program is focused on preeclampsia, with the company’s LNP platform intended to deliver therapeutic mRNA preferentially to placental tissue.

For more information, visit www.rice.edu.