Prominent Names in RNA Delivery Discuss What’s Around the Corner

Oxford Global kicked off another exciting discussion group all about RNA therapeutics and emerging technologies for their delivery. Those attending were experts from the leading authorities in the field. Leading the conversation was Susan Rosenbaum, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Lauren Sciences, a company that has been the recipient of twelve foundation grant awards and won first prize for Global Healthcare Innovation, at BIO 2019. Also in the group were key experts and representatives from Johnson & Johnson, BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Boehringer-Ingelheim, to name a few.

During the discussion, we heard about Lauren Sciences’ innovative technology, V-Smart^®: a global solution for RNA targeting the central nervous system. We also heard from Dr Cees van Rijn, Professor of Nanotechnology and Microfluidics at the University of Amsterdam, about his team’s work on Vibrating Mesh Nebulisers and their opportunities for pulmonary delivery.

The central dogma of molecular biology: that DNA gets transcribed into RNA, which then synthesise proteins. There are also forms of RNA (e.g., shRNA, siRNA, miRNA) that affect production/activity of proteins and, thus, have therapeutic potential. RNA, therefore, should be seen as an invaluable tool for pharmaceutical scientists across the board. Although there is so much potential in RNA, a therapeutic is ineffectual if not able to make it to the right cells, that’s why drug delivery is such a necessary pursuit.