RNA Vaccines and Therapeutics

Noxopharm and its subsidiary Pharmorage, in strategic collaboration with Hudson Institute of Medical Research, have developed an extensive portfolio of assets under the SOF-VAC™ program as part of the Sofra technology platform.

These include an array of oligos targeting various nucleic acid (RNA / DNA) inflammation sensors such as TLR7, TLR8, RIG-I and cGAS.

The program is also being extended to modulate other critical sensors, with promising leads for targets such as MDA5, TLR3 and TLR9.

Novel Approach to Modulating Inflammation

The significance of these novel oligos lies in their highly targeted anti-inflammatory action, which is based on a breakthrough discovery of how the human immune system works to keep inflammation in check – namely the discovery of the natural ligands for specific inhibitory binding sites located on critical immune receptors.

This has enabled Noxopharm to mimic and optimise these ligands in order to develop new drugs.

Using ultra-short oligos from the SOF-VAC portfolio, strong anti-inflammatory efficacy has now been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo.

Use Case Example: Enhancing Vaccines

Vaccine enhancement is just one example of SOF-VAC’s broader promise. Upon administration of an mRNA vaccine, the mRNA gets broken down within the cells into fragments, some of which can activate inflammation receptors, leading to reactogenicity that results in potentially severe side effects.

To mitigate this, SOF-VAC technology blocks these specific inflammation receptors, thereby reducing the reactogenicity caused by mRNA vaccines at its source.

With a well-defined selective mechanism of action, the oligos in the SOF-VAC program can improve vaccine safety while preserving and potentially increasing vaccine efficacy.

Industry Opportunity

SOF-VAC offers industry the opportunity to enhance many types of existing mRNA vaccines, including self-amplifying mRNAs and RNA therapeutics in a rapidly expanding and competitive field that involves substantial private and public investment worldwide.

In terms of financial opportunity, the global mRNA market alone in 2021 was US$42 billion and is expected to grow to US$128 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 13%.

Download the SOF-VAC Fact Sheet pdf here

Click on the image below to view video.

SOF-VAC is not approved for use in Australia or any other country.