Feasibility analysis of nucleic acid-encoded mAb therapies

The rise of nucleic acid-based vaccines prompted interest in their use as alternative vehicles for therapeutic protein delivery.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been the leading cancer and autoimmune disorder therapeutics for over three decades and have recently gained interest in the infectious diseases field too.

In this context, mAbs emerged as prophylactic or therapeutic products to address emerging viral diseases, and potentially provide solutions to the silent pandemic represented by antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens.

However, high R&D and manufacturing costs, and high-tech facilities and skilled personnel requirements limit broad availability and patient accessibility.

The aim of this project is to assess the techno-economic feasibility of replacing mAb therapeutics with nucleic acid drugs that encode for them.

This would enable use of platform manufacturing processes without the need for extensive mammalian cell line development campaigns, even eliminating cell-based manufacturing of RNA products.