Penn mRNA Biology Pioneer Drew Weissman Joins RVAC's Science Advisory Board

News provided by

Sep 30, 2021, 12:50 ET

SINGAPORE, Sept. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RVAC Medicines Pte. Ltd. ("RVAC"), an emerging messenger RNA (mRNA) platform company in Singapore aspiring to address various diseases with unmet medical needs for emerging markets through novel vaccines and therapeutics, today announced that one of the top international pioneers in RNA biology, Dr. Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D., has joined its science advisory board (SAB).

Dr. Weissman, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, recently received several top national and international honors in the biomedical research community in recognition of the discovery of a therapeutic technology based on the modification of mRNA that improves its properties for use in therapeutics or prophylactic applications. It is the visionary research of Dr. Weissman and Katalin Karikó, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania, stemming from a groundbreaking study published in 2005, which showed that mRNA could be modified and then delivered into the human body to initiative a protective immune response. This discovery was a foundational component of two mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, now being used to combat the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond COVID-19, it is believed that mRNA technology holds promise for future vaccines and treatments for a wide range of diseases including HIV and influenza, cancer, autoimmune and incurable genetic diseases.

"We are very excited and honored to have Drew join RVAC's SAB, as his deep understanding and genuine interest in continued biomedical research in mRNA will help RVAC to make new discoveries and therapeutics to treat a host of other diseases," said Sean Cao, Ph.D., Managing Director of CBC Group, Asia's largest healthcare-dedicated investment firm.

"mRNA vaccines have protected millions of people from COVID-19 and severe symptoms and hospitalizations associated with the disease," said Dr. Weissman. "The potential for mRNA technology extends far beyond COVID-19 to many other diseases."

RVAC, incubated in 2021 by CBC Group, aims to continuously improve its mRNA platform technology through in-house R&D and collaboration with partners initially in the fields of oncology and infectious diseases, bringing much needed public health and medical infrastructure and treatment access to the emerging markets.

About RVAC Medicines

RVAC Medicines is an mRNA biopharmaceutical company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Singapore with R&D centers in Boston and Shanghai. Leveraging its mRNA technology platform and strategic partnerships, the company is building a pipeline of innovative mRNA vaccine and therapeutic candidates to treat various diseases of unmet medical needs for the emerging markets and globally. The company is led by an experienced management team that is supported by a world-renowned scientific advisory board.

About CBC

CBC Group, Asia's largest healthcare-dedicated investment firm, commits to creating value and integrating global resources. In partnering with the world's top entrepreneurs and scientists, our unique "investor-operator" approach has empowered global leading healthcare companies to widen access to affordable medical care, catalyze innovations, and improve efficiency in fulfilling unmet medical needs worldwide. Founded in 2014, CBC has a leading team of investment, industry and portfolio management professionals headquartered in Singapore with global offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and New York, and presence in Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, and Tokyo. CBC focuses on platform-building, buyout, credit and growth-focused opportunities across multiple core areas within the healthcare sector, including pharmaceutical and biotech, medical technology and healthcare services. For more information, please visit www.cbridgecap.com

For media enquiries, please contact [email protected]

SOURCE CBC Group