Leading RNA intereference (RNAi) therapeutics company, Alnylam, has been welcomed as the latest partner in the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, to transform the manufacturing process of oligonucleotide therapies.
Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is a collaboration between CPI, University of Strathclyde, UK Research & Innovation, Scottish Enterprise, and its founding partners AstraZeneca and GSK.
Alnylam is a US-based company founded in 2002, who have since established their leadership in RNAi, and they have a broad portfolio of oligonucleotide therapies on the market.
The company will be working together with deep tech innovation organisation CPI, as well as Novartis, AstraZeneca, and Exactmer. This industry collaboration will also solve multiple complex challenges associated with the manufacture of these therapies, including issues of sustainability, cost, and scalability.
Oligonucleotides are synthesised pieces of chemically modified RNA or DNA, which can modify the expression of proteins linked to a range of diseases. These therapies are already approved for use in certain rare genetic disorders, but they have significant potential for treating chronic diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, and hypertension.
Dave Tudor, Managing Director of Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre at CPI, said:“We are thrilled to be working with Alnylam, a leading global biopharmaceutical company known for its pioneering development of oligonucleotide manufacturing. This partnership will complement the expertise within Grand Challenge 3, allowing the project to be delivered more efficiently, and as a result, bringing solutions to the pharmaceutical market sooner.”
Al Boyle, Chief Technical Operations and Quality Officer at Alnylam, added:“The goal of this Grand Challenge, to revolutionise the manufacturing process for oligonucleotide therapies, is critically important for the future of medicine. The success of this Grand Challenge will help enable innovators to advance the promise of oligonucleotide therapies to broader patient populations, allowing for sustainable production at a larger scale and lower cost.”
The oligonucleotide therapeutics market is expected to be worth approximately $7.23 billion by 2024.
