AstraZeneca partners with VaxEquity for its first RNA deal
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AstraZeneca is making its first deal in RNA, signing a partnership with VaxEquity to create therapeutics using the technology that first proved itself with the Covid-19 vaccines.
The UK drugmaker will commercialise up to 26 drug targets using VaxEquity’s self-amplifying RNA, based on innovations developed at Imperial College London.
AstraZeneca is taking a stake in the company in a deal that includes up to $195m in milestone payments plus royalties. Morningside group, the science and technology fund that was an original investor, increased its investment.
Mene Pangalos, AstraZeneca’s executive vice-president, said the collaboration adds a “promising new platform to our drug discovery toolbox”. RNA, which stands for ribonucleic acid, translates genetic code into proteins.
Pharmaceutical companies including Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline are rushing to invest in RNA platforms after the success of the Covid-19 vaccines using mRNA — a subset of RNA — from BioNTech and Pfizer, and Moderna. The mRNA vaccine pioneers have ambitions to use the technology for vaccines for other infectious diseases and cancer treatments.
Co-founded last year by Professor Robin Shattock, head of immunology of infection at Imperial, VaxEquity is developing a version of RNA which could allow it to create longer-lasting proteins that can be used to treat diseases and design vaccines at lower doses.
Imperial tried to use the technology to create a Covid-19 vaccine last year, but as other shots won approval, it changed tack to focus on developing a jab for variants or boosters. Shattock explained earlier this year that its technology was at a more nascent stage than Oxford’s when the pandemic hit and received less funding.
AstraZeneca, which developed a Covid-19 shot with Oxford using a different technology called an adenovirus vector, will work with VaxEquity on research and development to optimise the platform.
Pangalos said: “We believe self-amplifying RNA, once optimised, will allow us to target novel pathways not amenable to traditional drug discovery across our therapy areas of interest.”
Shattock said the prospect of more therapeutic applications “adds to the technology’s great potential”.
“We have all seen how technologies based around RNA have been fundamental to preventing ongoing severe disease and death in major global pandemics,” he said.