A new study has revealed how an mRNA-based influenza vaccine reshapes immune responses at the cellular and molecular levels. By tracking germinal-centre (GC) activity and individual secreted antibody clonotypes for up to six months, researchers uncovered how vaccination drives the evolution and diversification of immune responses. … Read More
GSK has revealed that its mRNA seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine candidate has shown higher immune responses against all influenza strains tested compared to licensed standard dose and high dose inactivated flu vaccines. The Phase II data were presented at the OPTIONS XIII Conference for the Control of… Read More
mRNA technology could help treat autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, researchers say. Scientists at the Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED) at Hasselt University and the Belgian biotech company etherna have demonstrated that mRNA technology, which gained recognition for its use in Covid-19 vaccines, also holds promise for the targeted… Read More
This is the latest episode of the free DDW Narrated Podcast. The episode covers two articles written for DDW Volume 25, Issue 2, Spring 2024. The first article is called ‘Why more work is needed to fight antimicrobial resistance’. In the article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong speaks to Professor… Read More
An independent company is to be established and led by BioNTech co-founders Professor Ugur Sahin and Professor Özlem Türeci to “advance next-generation mRNA innovations”. BioNTech has announced plans to contribute related rights and mRNA technologies to the new company to support the prioritised development of mRNA innovations… Read More
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is to invest up to $54.3 million to support a pivotal Phase III clinical trial that aims to help advance Moderna’s investigational mRNA-based H5 pandemic influenza vaccine candidate, mRNA-1018, to licensure. The organisation says the funding marks a significant step… Read More
Strand Therapeutics has announced a $153 million Series B funding led by Kinnevik, with new investors including Regeneron Ventures, ICONIQ, and Amgen Ventures. The funding will advance Strand’s pipeline, led by STX-001, a programmable mRNA therapy that expresses the cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) directly from the tumour microenvironment. … Read More
The latest episode of the DDW Highlights podcast is now available to listen to below. DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates five key stories of the week to keep DDW subscribers up-to-date on the latest industry updates. In the week that the US… Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the beginning of a “coordinated wind-down” of its mRNA vaccine development activities under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The department says the decision follows a comprehensive review of mRNA-related investments initiated during the… Read More
Sartorius Stedim Biotech and Sensible Biotechnologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly advance the industrialisation and scale-up of Sensible’s first-in-class cell-based platform for the design, optimisation, and manufacturing of high-quality mRNA. The collaboration aims to enable clinical-grade production of cell-based mRNA by 2026 and unlock the “next… Read More
Researchers from Denmark have demonstrated that a simple addition to mRNA vaccines can significantly enhance their effectiveness. mRNA technology is highly effective against viruses and quick to adapt to new variants, but the immunity tends to wane rapidly, leaving people vulnerable to reinfection just months after vaccination. Read More
Following a definitive Purchase Agreement, BioNTech has announced its intention to acquire all of the shares of fellow German company CureVac. With the acquisition, BioNTech aims to strengthen the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialisation of investigational mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies. The company’s oncology strategy focuses on… Read More
Researchers from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne have demonstrated a way to make HIV visible, paving the way to a complete cure. In a paper published in Nature Communications, the scientists have shown for the first time that… Read More
The first US participant has been dosed in Moderna’s Phase I study evaluating mRNA-4106, a novel pan-tumour antigen therapy candidate, in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumours. The first dose was administered at START Center for Cancer Research (START) in San Antonio by Dr Amita Patnaik. Read More
Ethris and Lonza have announced a collaboration to develop room-temperature stable, spray-dried formulations of mRNA-based vaccine candidates. The vaccines are designed for mucosal delivery and offer a promising approach to combat respiratory diseases. Room-temperature stability aims to address significant supply chain challenges associated with some… Read More
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation to Sanofi’s mRNA vaccine candidate for the prevention of chlamydia infection. The decision was based on the potential of the vaccine candidate to address a serious condition and address an unmet public health need. The… Read More
