Company Description
Wave Life Sciences Ltd. (Nasdaq: WVE) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on unlocking the broad potential of RNA medicines to transform human health. According to the company’s disclosures, Wave’s work centers on oligonucleotide therapeutics that target ribonucleic acid (RNA), with the aim of addressing both rare and common disorders. The company’s ordinary shares trade on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol WVE.
Wave describes its core technology as the PRISM® RNA medicines platform, which combines multiple modalities, chemistry innovation, and deep insights in human genetics. Across its news releases, Wave states that PRISM is used to deliver scientific approaches that optimally address disease biology. The platform supports several RNA-targeting modalities, including RNA interference (RNAi), RNA editing, splicing, and antisense silencing. The company also highlights proprietary chemistry designs such as its Stereopure interfering Nucleic Acid (SpiNA) next-generation siRNA design and its A-to-I RNA editing oligonucleotides, referred to as AIMers.
Business focus and therapeutic areas
Across multiple press releases, Wave states that it is advancing a diversified pipeline of RNA medicines. Its clinical programs include:
- Obesity – through WVE-007, an investigational INHBE GalNAc-siRNA using Wave’s SpiNA design, evaluated in the INLIGHT clinical trial in adults living with overweight or obesity.
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) – through WVE-006, an investigational GalNAc-conjugated RNA editing oligonucleotide (AIMer) designed to address AATD-related lung and liver disease, studied in the RestorAATion clinical program.
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) – through WVE-N531, an investigational exon-skipping oligonucleotide being developed as a disease-modifying treatment for boys with DMD amenable to exon 53 skipping.
- Huntington’s disease (HD) – through WVE-003, described as a first-in-class, allele-selective investigational oligonucleotide targeting mutant huntingtin while preserving wild-type huntingtin.
In addition to these clinical programs, Wave reports several preclinical programs that utilize its RNA therapeutics toolkit. One highlighted candidate is WVE-008, an investigational GalNAc-conjugated RNA editing oligonucleotide (AIMer) for homozygous PNPLA3 I148M liver disease, a condition for which the company notes there are no approved medicines that directly address the underlying biology. Wave also reports work on a bifunctional single oligonucleotide construct designed to silence one target while simultaneously editing or upregulating another distinct target.
RNAi and RNA editing capabilities
Wave repeatedly emphasizes its capabilities in both RNAi and RNA editing. In its obesity program, WVE-007 is described as an INHBE GalNAc-siRNA that uses the company’s SpiNA design to silence INHBE mRNA, an obesity target supported by human genetic evidence. In preclinical models and early clinical data reported by the company, silencing INHBE is associated with changes in body composition and reductions in serum Activin E, a downstream protein product.
For RNA editing, Wave highlights WVE-006 for AATD as an example of an A-to-I RNA editing AIMer. The company reports that WVE-006 is designed to recapitulate the MZ phenotype in individuals with the homozygous Pi*ZZ mutation by restoring physiological production of alpha-1 antitrypsin protein and reducing the mutant Z-AAT protein. Wave also notes that its RNA editing approach is being extended to WVE-008 for PNPLA3 I148M liver disease, with preclinical data indicating restoration of functional PNPLA3 protein and reductions in liver fat or lipid accumulation.
Pipeline highlights
Based on the company’s public statements, key programs in Wave’s pipeline include:
- WVE-007 (INHBE GalNAc-siRNA) for obesity – evaluated in the INLIGHT first-in-human clinical trial in adults with overweight or obesity. Wave reports dose-dependent and durable reductions in serum Activin E, as well as interim clinical data showing improvements in body composition at a single 240 mg dose.
- WVE-006 for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency – an RNA editing AIMer studied in the RestorAATion-2 Phase 1b/2a open-label trial. The company reports that WVE-006 achieved key AATD treatment goals consistent with an MZ phenotype, including increases in wild-type M-AAT and reductions in Z-AAT.
- WVE-008 for PNPLA3 I148M liver disease – a GalNAc-conjugated AIMer for individuals with homozygous PNPLA3 I148M liver disease. Wave reports preclinical evidence that RNA editing restores functional PNPLA3 protein and decreases lipid accumulation, and has stated its intention to file a Clinical Trial Application.
- WVE-N531 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy – an exon-skipping oligonucleotide for boys amenable to exon 53 skipping. Wave reports positive Phase 2 open-label data showing improvements in Time-to-Rise compared with natural history, along with a safety profile it describes as generally well tolerated.
- WVE-003 for Huntington’s disease – an allele-selective oligonucleotide evaluated in the SELECT-HD clinical trial. The company reports data indicating allele-selective reduction of mutant huntingtin protein in cerebrospinal fluid, preservation of wild-type huntingtin, and a correlation between mutant huntingtin reduction and slowing of caudate atrophy.
Geographic footprint and corporate structure
In its SEC filings, Wave Life Sciences Ltd. identifies Singapore as its jurisdiction of incorporation and lists its ordinary shares on The Nasdaq Global Market. In multiple press releases, the company states that it is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wave also references collaborations and presentations in the United States and Europe, including clinical trial sites in the U.S. for its INLIGHT obesity trial.
Capital markets and financing
Wave’s SEC filings and news releases describe its activity as a public company raising capital through offerings of ordinary shares and pre-funded warrants. For example, an 8-K dated December 10, 2025, details an underwriting agreement for an underwritten public offering of ordinary shares and pre-funded warrants, with the securities issued under an automatically effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3ASR. The filing notes that the company’s ordinary shares have a $0 par value and are registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act.
The same 8-K states that, including anticipated net proceeds from that offering, Wave expects its cash and cash equivalents to be sufficient to fund operations into the third quarter of 2028, excluding potential future milestone and other payments under a collaboration with GSK. Other 8-K filings describe periodic financial results, equity incentive plan amendments, and shareholder voting outcomes at the company’s annual general meetings.
Regulatory and clinical disclosure practices
Wave frequently uses Form 8-K to furnish press releases and corporate presentations that summarize clinical data, research updates, and financial results. These filings typically specify whether the information is being “furnished” rather than “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act. The company also notes that offerings of securities are conducted under effective shelf registration statements, with related prospectus supplements filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Clinical updates for WVE-007, WVE-006, WVE-N531, and WVE-003 are often accompanied by investor conference calls and webcasts, with slide presentations made available in the “Investors” section of Wave’s website. The company highlights key endpoints such as target engagement biomarkers (for example, serum Activin E for WVE-007 and alpha-1 antitrypsin levels for WVE-006), body composition measures, and imaging-based assessments like caudate atrophy in Huntington’s disease.
Position within biotechnology and RNA therapeutics
According to its public statements, Wave Life Sciences positions itself as a biotechnology company focused on RNA medicines, with a toolkit that spans RNAi, RNA editing, splicing modulation, and antisense silencing. The company emphasizes the use of human genetic insights to select targets such as INHBE, SERPINA1 (for AATD), PNPLA3, and mutant huntingtin, and to design oligonucleotide candidates intended to modify disease-relevant pathways. Its programs span metabolic disease (obesity), genetic liver and lung disease (AATD and PNPLA3 I148M liver disease), neuromuscular disease (DMD), and neurodegeneration (HD).
Wave repeatedly states that it is “driven by the calling to ‘Reimagine Possible’” and describes its goal as working toward a world in which human potential is no longer hindered by the burden of disease. This framing appears consistently in its news releases and corporate descriptions.