Link-up has already delivered data showing the promise of nanoparticle-formulated doggybone DNA
20Med Therapeutics – a company focused on developing gene therapies and vaccines – alongside enzymatic DNA production specialists, Touchlight, have revealed that they have embarked on a vital collaboration.
The partnership will concentrate on establishing a novel vaccination platform that combines 20Med Therapeutics’ bioresponsive polymer nanoparticle technology with Touchlight’s rapid enzymatic doggybone DNA (dbDNA) platform.
The link-up has already delivered preclinical data demonstrating the promise of nanoparticle-formulated doggybone DNA to yield strong neutralising antibodies and durable T cell responses following vaccine administration in nanoparticles.
The platforms from both companies offer distinct conceptual advantages in terms of scalability, thermostability and speed, while avoiding the potentially harmful bacterial or viral process steps of traditional.
Helen Horton, chief research officer at Touchlight, reflected: “Touchlight, as part of its funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will be able to further evaluate and determine the potential applicability of this technology combination.”
She added: “Successful demonstration of the doggybone DNA platform’s effectiveness in DNA vaccine and gene therapy applications has the potential to support the global availability of innovative medicines and to further the application of the doggybone DNA platform in enabling rapid pandemic response.”
Michiel Lodder, chief executive officer at 20Med Therapeutics, was adamant about the potential of combining resources: “Today’s news further underscores the flexibility of our platform in delivering both a range of RNA or DNA-based therapeutic payloads that are sourced either through partnerships or are based on our proprietary activities.”
He concluded: “We are looking forward to collaborating with Touchlight on this promising project, which will strengthen both companies’ platforms and increase the body of evidence around our nanoparticle technology.”
20Med’s nanoparticles have been designed for efficient intracellular delivery of oligonucleotide-based vaccines and therapeutics.
Meanwhile, dbDNA is a minimal, double-stranded and covalently closed DNA construct. It has the capability to encode long, complex or unstable DNA sequences, eliminating bacterial sequences in the process.
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