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– The CureVac company rejects current rumors of an acquisition
Courtesy CureVac condensed by Hernan Valenzuela at Minapim: – CureVac AG, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering mRNA-based drugs for vaccines and therapeutics, confirmed today that internal efforts are focused on the development of a coronavirus vaccine with the goal to reach, help and to protect people and patients worldwide.
As a consequence, the company is in contact with especially CEPI and many other organizations and authorities worldwide, however abstains from commenting on speculations and rejects allegations about offers for acquisition of the company or its technology.
Based on its inherent mode of action, CureVac sees mRNA as one of the most potent molecules to provide fast and efficient solutions in outbreak scenarios, such like the Coronavirus. With inhouse expertise of over two decades and the company’s deep scientific understanding CureVac is leveraging its potent vaccine platform to focus on developing a potent, efficacious and safe and fast to produce vaccine against Covid-19.
CureVac recently announced successful vaccination results in its Rabies program fully protecting humans with two doses of only 1 microgram (1 millionth of a gram). These results are encouraging when thinking of supplying populations and people worldwide in a pandemic scenario.
The company also has long and strong manufacturing expertise for mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics since 2006. At this time, CureVac is working on expanding its manufacturing capacities to be able to provide up to billions of doses for outbreak situations like Covid-19.
Mariola Fotin-Mleczek, Chief Technology Officer of CureVac, commented: “Nature has invented mechanisms to activate our immune system against infectious diseases. With our unique messenger RNA technology we mimic nature and give our body the information how to fight against the virus. The combination of mRNA science, disease understanding, formulation and production expertise make CureVac a unique player to fight against any infectious disease, no matter whether they are seasonal or pandemic.”
The Tuebingen-based company, which is backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has said it hopes to have an experimental vaccine ready by June or July and to then seek the go-ahead from regulators for testing on humans.
If successful in clinical trials, the group would be ready to produce up to 10 million doses in one production cycle that typically lasts several weeks. More than one dose may be required to immunize a person.
Output could rise to a billion dosages in a single production cycle, said CureVac’s Chief Production Officer Florian von der Muelbe, at a new manufacturing site that the company is planning to build with financial support from the EU.
The Unlimited Possibilities of mRNA
As a molecule found within all forms of cellular life, messenger RNA (mRNA) is central to biology itself. It quite literally finds itself the messenger between DNA, the body’s genetic blueprint, and proteins, the molecules responsible for the structure, function and regulation of the body.
DNA: The source code of life, DNA carries unlimited genetic information. Goes to Transcription mRNA: The messenger molecule, mRNA carries target-specific instructions for making a protein from a gene. Goes to Translation Proteins: Our functional target proteins are the building blocks of every cell—including the antibodies, hormones and enzymes central to health
For a long time, mRNA was considered unstable and was relegated to the shadow of its sister molecule DNA—at least, until our founder Dr. Ingmar Hoerr discovered in the late 1990s that mRNA could be stabilized for potential use as a therapeutic molecule. Flash forward to today—CureVac’s mRNA technology has enabled the human body to produce its own medicine.
The Method
Convinced that mRNA has unparalleled potential as a drug, CureVac has embarked on an exciting mission and pioneered unexplored territory. With mRNA in our sight, the CureVac method was developed from the cumulation of many years of work, research and nucleotide analysis—all in the name of overcoming the instability of mRNA molecules. We analyzed millions of naturally occurring sequences to develop an incomparable insight into the endogenous RNA language. These findings enabled us to develop an extensive in-house nucleotide sequence library that allows us to optimally assemble the various pieces of the mRNA puzzle for the desired therapeutic use without having to rely on additional chemical modifications in the RNA.
Each CureVac product can be thought of as a tailored molecular creation in which we customize the 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions and the open reading frame to ensure translation of the mRNA sequence produces the ideal levels of protein creation in the body. All the different parts of a CureVac-customized mRNA molecule create a packaged product specially optimized for different indications.
And because so many diseases—from cancers to genetic conditions to infectious diseases—can be traced back to proteins, mRNA becomes a truly remarkable therapeutic with virtually infinite possibilities. Here are just a few areas in which we are making progress:
Cancer Immunotherapy
Our approach to mRNA-based cancer treatments enhances antigenic properties of proteins, helping to trigger the patient’s immune system to attack cancer cells. We use a special transport system, which simulates a viral infection in the body and thus optimally addresses the immune system. Our therapeutic pipeline consists of several mRNA molecules encoding specific tumor-associated antigens, which are recognized by the body and fought with the usual antiviral immune response
(tumor vaccination).
In addition, we attack the cancer cells directly with our RNA and specifically modify the tumor tissue environment to align the immune system with the tumor (immune modulation). We have promising Phase 1 clinical data for our potential intratumoral (tumor injection) therapies in melanomas, head and neck skin cancers (HNSCC) and adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC).
Antibodies
Our latest venture is optimizing mRNA molecules to trigger production of antibodies without triggering an immune response in the patient – unlike many available immunotherapy and biologic treatments. Our antibody work has potential to protect against viruses and toxins and can be applied in many disease indications including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases.
Molecular Therapies for Rare Diseases
Many rare genetic diseases are based on defective or missing intracellular or transmembrane proteins. These cannot be treated with recombinantly produced proteins, as the intracellular administration of proteins has not yet been satisfactorily resolved. We have made progress in adapting our mRNA approaches to produce high amounts of missing or defective protein directly in the cell. This allows us to address some of the most difficult rare diseases where patients have little or no other treatment options. We have preclinical data on several different molecular therapy candidates for selected indications, including hepatic genetic diseases.
Prophylactic Vaccines
Our prophylactic vaccines represent a novel technology which can enable production of safe, efficacious and cost-effective vaccines for a range of infectious diseases, including influenza and rabies. And by partnering with international non-profits, our impact can have a truly global reach.
About CureVac AG
CureVac is a leading clinical stage biotechnology company in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology with 20 years of expertise in developing and optimizing this versatile molecule for medical purposes. The principle of CureVac’s proprietary technology is the use of mRNA as a data carrier to instruct the human body to produce its own proteins capable of fighting a wide range of diseases. The company applies its technologies for the development of cancer therapies, antibody therapies, the treatment of rare diseases, and prophylactic vaccines.
From production to patent: The CureVac way
All of our mRNA-based active ingredients for various fields of application originate from a common technology platform and are based on identical source materials. This enables CureVac to produce all mRNA using a universal process—even at a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) level of quality. CureVac is truly a one-stop shop for mRNA therapeutics, encompassing every step along the R&D journey, from discovery to production. The high standards for discovery and production have led to high returns—CureVac have over 700 granted patents, with almost 500 additional patent applications pending for approval.
CureVac has received significant investments, amongst others from dievini Hopp BioTech holding and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CureVac has also entered into collaborations with multinational corporations and organizations, including CEPI, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Co, Genmab, CRISPR Therapeutics, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others. CureVac is headquartered in Tübingen, Germany with sites in Frankfurt and Boston, USA.
Sources: Curevac New Delhi Times VOA
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