AstraZeneca has entered a strategic, long-term research collaboration with biopharmaceutical firm VaxEquity to discover, develop and commercialise self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) therapeutics platform.
VaxEquity was founded last year by Imperial College London and Morningside. It is developing RNA therapeutics and vaccines using its next generation saRNA platform created at Imperial College London.
The new partnership intends to optimise and validate the saRNA platform, as well as use it to progress new therapeutic programmes.
AstraZeneca BioPharmaceuticals R&D executive vice-president Mene Pangalos said: “This collaboration with VaxEquity adds a promising new platform to our drug discovery toolbox.
“We believe self-amplifying RNA, once optimised, will allow us to target novel pathways not amenable to traditional drug discovery across our therapy areas of interest.”
The company will make an investment in VaxEquity to support the development of the saRNA platform and also has the option to partner with the firm on up to 26 drug targets.
AstraZeneca will further provide funding for research and development as part of this collaboration.
Under the terms of the partnership deal, AstraZeneca will make development, approval and sales-based milestone payments of up to $195m, if it progresses any of the programmes resulting from the research alliance into its pipeline.
VaxEquity is also eligible for royalties in the mid-single digits per programme.
Additionally, AstraZeneca and life sciences investor Morningside Ventures have made an upfront equity investment in VaxEquity.
VaxEquity executive chairman Michael Watson said: “We are delighted to collaborate with AstraZeneca given its strong track record in innovation and welcome them as a new investor. We are also grateful for the ongoing support of our existing investor, Morningside Group.
“With our self-amplifying RNA platform, we aim to underpin the next generation of RNA-delivered medicines enabling not only vaccines but also broad range of therapeutics applications.”