eTheRNA immunotherapies and Quantoom Biosciences Announce a Strategic Collaboration for the Development of a Novel RNA Production System

- The objective is to make RNA therapeutics accessible to global patient populations

- Makes large scale decentralized RNA production economically viable

News provided by

Jun 29, 2021, 03:00 ET

NEIL, Belgium and BRUSSELS, June 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- eTheRNA immunotherapies NV ('eTheRNA'), a clinical-stage company developing mRNA-based immunotherapies with in-house GMP certified production and process development capabilities, and Quantoom Biosciences S.A. ("Quantoom"), a biotech company aiming to improve access to essential medicines through innovative bioproduction methods, today announce that they are to collaborate on the development of a revolutionary RNA production system (RPS) for both research and GMP-grade material.

Quantoom and eTheRNA will work together to build an advanced, small footprint technology platform for the production of affordable RNA-based therapies, that can be used either within existing facilities or rapidly deployed to areas of urgent need. Unlike large and costly existing RNA production plants, the RPS will manufacture RNA small modular units, which can be shipped easily across multiple geographic regions. The RPS is intended to be scaled seamlessly from small scale preclinical batches to mass production of GMP-grade RNA. The only requirement will be for the RPS to be located inside a suitable clean room with an uninterrupted utility supply.

Under the terms of the agreement, eTheRNA will transfer manufacturing technology to Quantoom with all materials and data necessary for the development of the novel RPS. Following completion of the RPS, Quantoom will be responsible for commercialization of the system on a worldwide basis, with sales-related royalties payable to eTheRNA. International sales and distribution are expected to commence in 2023 following RPS production in Belgium.

Bernard Sagaert, SVP Manufacturing and COO of eTheRNA, commented: "This cooperation aligns with our goals for RNA production; namely cost reduction, process scalability from small to large scale, portability and process automation. Currently, the global supply of RNA is hampered by the lack of dedicated production facilities and by the cost of constructing new plants. The RPS will revolutionize the way RNA is produced and distributed globally and we are excited to be able to work with a leading developer and manufacturer like Quantoom to bring this vision to the market."

José Castillo, CEO of Quantoom Biosciences, commented: "We are delighted to enter into this collaboration agreement with eTheRNA, which has extensive experience in the field of RNA and like Quantoom, has a mission to change the RNA world. Through our combined knowhow, I am confident that Quantoom will be able to develop an open, integrated RNA platform that will enable manufacture of RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics at scale, resulting in affordable development and production of RNA-based drugs. "

About eTheRNA immunotherapies

eTheRNA immunotherapies NV is developing immunotherapy and vaccine products for the treatment of cancer and infectious disease from its multiple RNA, formulation, and manufacturing technology platforms. The company is headquartered in Belgium and was established in 2013. Its founding shareholders include Progress Pharma and VUB. eTheRNA is supported by an international group of specialist investors; BNP Fortis Private Equity, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Funds, Everjoy Fortune PTE. LTD, Grand Decade Development Limited, Fund+, LSP, Novalis Lifesciences, Omega Funds, PMV and Ying Zhou Enterprise Management Company Limited who share the Company's ambition to build a world-leading company in the RNA field. To date, the Company has raised €63 million of venture funding. Further details relating to eTheRNA's R&D pipeline can be found at https://www.etherna.be/immunotherapies-rd-pipeline/.

About Quantoom Biosciences

Quantoom Biosciences is a biotech with the mission to deliver greater access and autonomy through innovation in bioproduction that will address some of the biggest production challenges in vaccines and therapeutics. As a Univercells company, Quantoom Biosciences provides open, integrated, affordable and (pre)clinically proven platforms to make biologics available for all. Our facilities are strategically located in Belgium, in the heart of Europe, benefiting from an exceptional biotech ecosystem. www.quantoom.com

Disclosure Statement

The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified using forward-looking terminology, including the words "believes", "estimates," "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "plans", "continue", "ongoing", "potential", "predict", "project", "target", "seek" or "should", and include statements the Company makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE eTheRNA