Australian biotech company Noxopharm Limited unveiled today the development of a new mRNA vaccine enhancer that will make mRNA vaccines safer by reducing inflammation associated with the vaccines.
The proprietary product candidate is part of Noxopharm’s Sofra preclinical platform, the company said in an ASX announcement.
Noxopharm’s team has also collaborated with the Hudson Institute of Medical Research to synthesise a novel vaccine enhancer called SOF-VAC.
The preclinical technology is intended to make a broad range of mRNA vaccines safer by reducing inflammation associated with mRNA vaccines. The technology is also expected to enable more cost-effective manufacturing of mRNA vaccines.
The collaboration, which includes Noxopharm’s subsidiary Pharmorage, received a $1.5 million backing from the Victorian government in June 2022.
Noxopharm said it has been building a robust IP position around the lead vaccine candidate and has a family of patent applications in various stages of examination.
“Our collaboration with the Hudson Institute team is delivering promising results in the lab, and we aim to build on those and generate interest in our assets. To that end, we will dedicate appropriate resources to this initiative, releasing more data in the future as we further strengthen our IP position, while at the same time keeping on track with our oncology-related research activities,” said Dr Gisela Mautner, CEO of Noxopharm.
On top of the SOF-VAC vaccine enhancement program, Noxopharm’s team has also made progress in the development of the Sofra program, with the inclusion of standalone treatments for autoimmune diseases such as lupus.
mRNA technology has achieved prominence in recent years as the basis for two of the most successful COVID-19 vaccines, but there is significant potential for the solution to be used for a wide range of other diseases.
Precedence Research recently revealed that the mRNA market is expected to grow to USD 128 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 13 per cent.
