CureVac Enters Exclusive Collaborative Research Agreement

CureVac AG recently announced it has entered into a Collaborative Research Agreement with Yale University for discovery research into mRNA-based pulmonary therapeutic candidates.

The exclusive CRA covers the development of an undisclosed number of novel mRNA-based candidates for pulmonary diseases. Under terms of the CRA, the Yale University team, led by Geoff Chupp, MD, will perform discovery research on targets related to pulmonary diseases and present therapeutic candidates to CureVac for preclinical and subsequent clinical development.  CureVac will provide all funding for the discovery research and retains the option to acquire any rights regarding the candidates.

“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to partner with CureVac to work on what we hope will be the next generation of therapeutics for patients with severe respiratory disease,” said John Puziss, PhD, the Director of Business Development in Yale’s Office of Cooperative Research.

Dr. Chupp added, “mRNA therapeutics are at the forefront of drug development and CureVac is a leader in the field.  We are very excited about the opportunity to merge our expertise in genomics of lung disease with CureVac’s expertise in mRNA therapeutic development to develop novel therapeutics for lung disease.  We look forward to a fruitful collaboration.”

“We are honored to partner with the Yale team, which is performing cutting edge discovery research in the pulmonary field,” said Dan Menichella, CEO of CureVac. “CureVac’s next generation mRNA delivery vehicle, the CureVac Carrier Molecule (CVCM), can reach targets in the lung and other organs and is well suited for repeated administration.  We look forward to uncovering potential new therapeutic candidates with Yale University to help provide solutions to those with the greatest medical need.”

CureVac is a leading company in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology with more than 19 years’ expertise in handling and optimizing this versatile molecule for medical purposes. The principle of CureVac’s proprietary technology is the use of mRNA as a data carrier to instruct the human body to produce its own proteins capable of fighting a wide range of diseases. The company applies its technologies for the development of cancer therapies, antibody therapies, the treatment of rare diseases, and prophylactic vaccines. To date, CureVac has received approximately $420 million (€400 million) in equity investments, including significant investments from SAP founder Dietmar Hopp’s dievini and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CureVac has also entered into collaborations with multinational corporations and organizations, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Co, CRISPR Therapeutics, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others. For more information, please visit www.curevac.com or follow us on Twitter at @CureVacAG.