NuclixBio announced that it has signed a Collaborative Research Agreement with PharmAbcine, a clinical-stage biotech company focusing on the development of next-generation antibody therapeutics.

Under the agreement, both companies will conduct collaborative research utilizing NuclixBio's proprietary circular mRNA platform named 'ringRNA’ to develop novel mRNA therapeutics that can generate PharmAbcine's antibodies. These novel therapeutics will express antibodies intracellularly to target human TIE2 receptors present on epithelial cells.

The newly developed drugs based on circular mRNA can have a better therapeutic effect compared to conventional linear mRNA-based therapies due to the proven prolonged half-life of circular mRNA. The circular form of mRNA also allows ribosomes, the particles that function to synthesize proteins, to continuously circulate around the loop of mRNA to produce a greater quantity of polypeptides, including therapeutic antibodies. Thus, the elongated half-life and therapeutic efficiency can improve patient convenience in terms of drug administration routes and intervals.

"This partnership will give both parties an extraordinary opportunity to utilize advanced proprietary technologies and provide tremendous growth opportunities," said Dr. Jin-San Yoo, CEO of PharmAbcine. "We are thankful for this strategic partnership and are looking forward to developing breakthrough therapeutic approaches that can both expand our pipeline and help patients with unmet medical needs."

"The distinctive feature of our mRNA platform is that we circularize the linear precursor RNAs and make them into circular mRNAs. This method allows more desirable protein expressions in in vivo settings, with higher stability and efficiency. Our ringRNA can be used in a wide range of indications," said Dr. Hoyoung Kang, CEO of NuclixBio. "We are thrilled to have entered this collaborative agreement with PharmAbcine, one of the leading antibody-based therapeutic companies. We hope our collaborative work will show many possibilities and result in the rapid development and expansion of the pipeline assets."