Quotient Sciences, a leading global drug development and manufacturing accelerator, and UK technology innovation centre, CPI, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a Joint Venture (JV) aimed at accelerating the development of RNA-based therapies. 

The JV will combine Quotient Sciences’ Translational Pharmaceutics® platform with CPI’s expertise in small scale manufacture of RNA and LNP encapsulation to deliver a first-of-its-kind, integrated offering for the development of mRNA drug products. The JV will address the growing industry demand for agile solutions that bring new RNA therapeutics to patients with greater speed and confidence.

“This is a pivotal moment for RNA drug development,” said Thierry Van Nieuwenhove, CEO at Quotient Sciences. “The combined innovation and deep technical expertise of Quotient and CPI will enable developers to benefit from a vastly accelerated supply chain, with clinical batches going from plasmid to clinical dose in as little as two months. This offers a highly streamlined pathway to early-phase clinical trials for mRNA drug candidates”.

The JV will integrate mRNA synthesis, LNP formulation development, clinical manufacturing, and early-phase clinical testing, all under one collaborative framework. The ability to quickly transition from DNA to RNA and into clinical trials will not only shorten timelines but also greatly increase the chances of clinical success, by affording drug developers the ability to adjust dose and formulation parameters based real-time clinical data from healthy human volunteers. This approach offers clear advantages in modalities where drug delivery is key to efficacy. 

Frank Millar, CEO at CPI, added: “We’re proud to be partnering with Quotient Sciences on this initiative which represents a bold step forward for the RNA ecosystem. Our shared vision is to enable scalable and sustainable development pathways for mRNA therapies that meet global health challenges head-on.”

Translational Pharmaceutics® has been used globally by biotech and large pharma on over 500 programs with small molecule and peptide drug candidates. This JV extends the application of Translational Pharmaceutics into mRNA-based therapeutics. 

Details of the joint venture including name, branding, and operational roadmap will be announced as the collaboration progresses.