French biotech OSE Immunotherapeutics is taking charge of a new project aimed at fast-tracking nanodrug development and creating new mRNA therapeutics, with 1.3 million euros ($1.47 million) in support from the French government.
OSE is joined by French manufacturer Inside Therapeutics and researchers at the MiNT Laboratory of France’s University of Angers, according to the May 21 release.
The clinical-stage biotech will guide a 36-month program, dubbed HexARN, in efforts to address challenges associated with RNA-based therapies such as improving selectivity and safety while preserving manufacturing scalability.
The plan is for OSE to develop novel RNA therapeutics for inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases. Meanwhile, Inside’s job will be to ensure scalable and reproducible formulation systems using its RNA-lipid formulation tech, and the MiNT will provide quality control using new methods.
The project is financed as part of the “France 2030” plan—a government program launched in 2021 to boost the country’s economy—and is operated by Bpifrance on behalf of the French state and the Pays de la Loire region.
The French investment comes as the U.S. government actively divests from federal healthcare innovation and research, particularly surrounding COVID-19 vaccines.
“HexARN is about the people and the innovation happening right here in the west of France,” Aurore Morello, Ph.D., OSE’s R&D director, said in the release. “We believe that innovative mRNA therapeutics and delivery methods will be part of future transformative medicines and will offer new hope for patients and push the boundaries of medical research in the way we treat cancer and inflammatory diseases in modulating immune cell responses.”
The biotech currently touts a phase 3 cancer vaccine, among several other assets, plus partnerships with AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim.