The mRNA therapy which in the recent years has exhibited extraordinary potential, is an innovative, highly promising, and inexpensive therapeutic approach. This strategy is commonly used in the treatment of single-gene disorders, which is based on the induction of de novo synthesis of the functional proteins. After the delivery of the specific mRNA to the target cells, the desired protein is expressed by the cells’ own translational machinery, and as a result, a fully functional protein replaces the defective or missing protein.
eTheRNA is one of the few companies working in mRNA therapies that are running clinical trials.
The Belgian biotech has now started a Phase Ib trial with its drug candidate TriMix-MEL, aka ECI-006, in patients with metastatic melanoma.
The candidate is a combination of three mRNA sequences that encode proteins to activate dendritic cells and five that encode melanoma antigens. It is an in vivo therapy which is meant to be directly injected in the lymph node carrying the advantage of manufacturing the treatment as an off-the-shelf product instead of an individualized procedure.
The trial in pipeline is to be run in Belgium and Spain, and aims to evaluate safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the therapy in patients
with melanoma after surgical removal of the tumor that are at risk of relapse. Preliminary results are expected in the second half of 2018.TriMix-MEL will now be closely competing with BioNTech’s FixVAC, another mRNA based therapy consisting of a combination of tumor antigens currently in Phase I.
