Normax and MTIF take mRNA tech to UK Uni

Normax Biomed has partnered with Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) to provide access to Telesis Bio’s BioXP system.

The agreement, of which financial details have not been divulged, will see NTU develop and discover gene therapies and messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines using the BioXP system.

Irish mRNA-based company Normax claims the BioXP platform, created by Californian firm Telesis Bio, is the world’s first commercially available end-to-end fully automated bench top synthetic biology system . The technology works by building genomic sequencing capabilities to enhance development, research, and discovery of potential  therapies and vaccines.

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Furthermore, BioXP aims to build, clone, and amplify gene fragments to constructing DNA variant libraries in less than 24 hours.

“This exciting collaboration with MTIF is paving a pathway towards our mission to manufacture safe and effective mRNA vaccines for the world, enabling us to bring product into mass production,” said Peter Jensen, CEO, and chairman of Normax.

“In the event of another public health emergency, we are also committed to delivering future mRNA vaccines in 100 days, to help ensure that COVID-19 is the last pandemic we will endure with such a global impact.”

MTIF will be responsible for providing Normax with access to laboratory testing, prototypes, support regulatory filings, human analysis, and clinical trials.

“This new technology which builds on our genomic sequencing capability and creates a value proposition in the research, development and discovery of future medical therapies including vaccines, will be installed at our MTIF facility in Nottingham and will be accessible to researchers, innovators from all sectors who are eager to create solutions for diseases and further develop personalised small-scale therapies,” Robert Reisel, interim managing director of MTIF said.

Normax aims to charge $4 per dose for large scale delivery of mRNA vaccines on advance purchase agreements (APA) in comparison to the price of the leading COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to governments, which ranges between $8-$35 per dose.