Start-ups have been exploring new mRNA structures and self-replicating capabilities to overcome the current transient nature of treatment.
Optimizing mRNA technology. Given mRNA vaccines’ significant contribution to curbing the COVID-19 pandemic, an interest in optimizing the platform continues to grow. Leaders in the space, such as Moderna and BioNTech, are spending billions to advance their mRNA pipelines in a wide set of indications. On top of these large investments, VC investors are betting on even more innovation in the field with almost $250 million in VC funding in 2022. Start-ups have been exploring new mRNA structures and self-replicating capabilities to overcome the current transient nature of treatment. Targeting molecules and synthetic switches are also being added to mRNA to improve tissue targeting and enable cell-specific expression. Start-ups and established companies hope that the technology will prove effective at tackling indications outside of infectious disease, with many programs focused on rare disease, immunology, and oncology.