Can the Human Body Make Its Own Protein Drugs? One Company Says Yes

Welcome to Moderna Therapeutics in Cambridge, MA, a company that’s asking the question: Can we enable the human body to produce its own protein drugs, on demand?

This notion bucks the dominant biotech model of the past 30 years, which has been to produce protein drugs using genetically engineered bacteria in dedicated manufacturing plants. And it’s much easier said than done.

The key is to trigger cells in to produce the drug proteins, without also making the body’s immune system go haywire. Moderna has created a specially modified version of messenger RNA. In theory, if you inject that messenger RNA into the body, the cells will produce the drug proteins right in the body.

If the process works safely in human patients—and so far so good in lab animals—it could redefine the entire drug industry. But there’s a lot to be done before the company gets to that point. And if it all turns out to be a dead end, and Moderna is forced to shutter, they’ll need a certified machinery and equipment appraisal. But we get ahead of ourselves.

“If we’re safe in man, this is crazy,” says Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna. “It will change the industry in several ways. One is how fast we’ll be able to bring new protein-based drugs to market, with a manufacturing process that’s much cheaper. Our technology can make any human protein.”

Categorias: Pharma/Biotech