Our mRNA Platforms – revolutionizing vaccine technology

We are a pioneer and global leader in developing fully individualized immunotherapies that aim to address each patient’s unique tumor. With our Individualized Neoantigen Specific Immunotherapy (iNeST) platform, we have developed a first-in-kind, on-demand manufacturing process for mRNA vaccines designed to target mutations that are unique to the patient’s specific cancer, so-called tumor neoantigens.

Infectious disease vaccine platform – transforming prophylactic vaccine technology 

Our mRNA vaccines are designed to train the immune system to effectively detect and destroy a specific pathogen. They encode the building plan of a non-infectious piece of a pathogen, a so-called immunogen, and deliver it to antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the body. There, the immunogen is produced and presented to the body’s immune cells. 

Our RiboMab (bispecific monoclonal antibody (mAb)-encoding mRNA) candidates represent the next generation of antibody-based cancer and infectious disease therapies overcoming current challenges of classic recombinant protein antibodies such as lengthy protein manufacturing processes. In this pioneering first-in-kind approach, we can directly provide the human body with an mRNA-encoded building plan for therapeutic antibodies, called RiboMabs. Smaller antibody derivatives are systemically available for a significantly prolonged time by this approach. We believe that this allows for fewer injections and the avoidance of infusion pumps compared to the application of recombinant protein antibodies. In addition, the in-body production is expected to minimize a possible adverse immune reaction against the therapeutic antibody itself, a common problem in the recombinant approach. By successfully delivering formulated mRNA that encodes our RiboMab candidates, the therapeutic antibody approach becomes simpler, faster and less expensive compared to traditional antibody approaches. This further allows for the investigation of possible targets, speeding up development and clinical testing of new product candidates and potentially opening up new indications.

Cytokines are small proteins that play an important role in regulating the immune response against pathogens as well as cancer cells. Recombinant cytokines are currently used for the treatment of several infectious diseases and cancer indications, but their efficacy is hampered by their short half-life and low bioavailability upon application into the human body. Our RiboCytokine platform candidates aim to address these shortcomings by providing an mRNA-encoded blueprint plan to the patient’s body to produce immune-activating cytokines that support an anti-cancer immune response. 

Intratumoral immunotherapies are designed to promote innate and adaptive immune responses against tumors, without unwanted toxic side effects related to systemic administration (e. g. via infusion). Our intratumoral immunotherapy candidates contain mRNA encoding immune-activating cytokines and are injected directly into a tumor. They aim to enhance cytokine-production directly at the tumor site to counteract tumor-induced immune evasion by re-activating the immune response in the tumor microenvironment and promoting greater immune cell activity. The local immune response then can trigger immune activation in remote parts of the body by circulation of properly activated anti-tumor immune cells.