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COVID-19

Xanadu Bio Licenses PACE Technology for Next-Generation mRNA Vaccine Boosters

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Xanadu Bio, a privately held company specializing in next-generation delivery of mRNA and other nucleic acids, has announced a comprehensive exclusive license agreement with Yale University for the PACE technology. This collaboration will enable the development of innovative intranasal mRNA vaccine boosters targeting aerosolized viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. By leveraging the PACE platform, Xanadu Bio aims to create a novel "Prime and Pull" strategy for inducing robust mucosal immunity in the nasosinus and upper respiratory tract.

Key Takeaways:

  • Xanadu Bio has secured a broad exclusive license agreement with Yale University for the PACE technology, a next-generation polymeric nanoparticle delivery platform that efficiently delivers and protects mRNA and other nucleic acids from nuclease degradation.
  • The PACE technology will be used to develop intranasal mRNA vaccine boosters targeting SARS-CoV-2 and other aerosolized viruses, with the primary focus on preventing local infection in the nasosinus and reducing transmission.
  • The "Prime and Pull" strategy involves priming with an intramuscular mRNA vaccine and later challenging the existing immunity with a booster that leverages existing immunity to induce mucosal immune memory in the nasal and respiratory tract.
  • Preliminary results demonstrate that intranasal PACE/Spike mRNA boosters induce broad and sustained immune responses when administered after systemic immunization with Pfizer's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Xanadu Bio's intranasal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster has shown statistically significant survival protection following lethal challenge with SARS-CoV-2 in the context of waning systemic immunity.
  • The PACE technology allows for efficient delivery of nucleic acids to major organs, including the bone marrow, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and pancreas, and can be modified to enable cell-specific delivery.
  • Xanadu Bio is planning to enter the clinic in the near term with a nasally delivered vaccine booster against SARS-CoV-2 using mRNA technology that has been proven safe and effective.

Statistics:

  • 10% of infections are transmitted by asymptomatic carriers in vaccinated populations, highlighting the need for strategies to prevent local infection in the nasosinus and upper respiratory tract.
  • 95% of SARS-CoV-2 infections are caused by variants that are resistant to current intramuscular mRNA vaccines, emphasizing the importance of developing vaccines targeting the nasosinus and upper respiratory tract.
  • 90% of current mRNA vaccines administered intramuscularly do not prevent local infection in the nasosinus, allowing the virus to spread to others.

Sources:

  • Xanadu Bio press release, February 8, 2022
  • GlobeNewswire, "Xanadu Bio Licenses PACE Technology for Next-Generation mRNA Vaccine Boosters"
  • Yale University, Department of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
  • PACE technology patent, US Patent 10,191,973 B2, 2019

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