SCG Cell Therapy partners A*STAR to accelerate RNA-based therapeutic development in Singapore

• SCG Cell Therapy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with A*STAR Bioprocessing Technology Institute (A*STAR BTI) and Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi) to advance ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based therapeutic manufacturing process development and clinical translation.
• The parties will work together to fast-track RNA based therapeutics commercialisation from concept to patient treatment.
• Collaborative projects include RNA-based cell and gene therapy and mRNA vaccine manufacturing process development, analytics, automation, digitalisation, and a joint talent development programme in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

SINGAPORE, Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SCG Cell Therapy Pte Ltd (SCG), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel immunotherapies for infectious diseases and their associated cancers, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with A*STAR BTI and NATi to advance RNA-based therapeutics manufacturing process development and clinical translation.

The MoU enables the combination of A*STAR BTI and NATi's research and development (R&D) capabilities in bioprocessing technologies, biomarker discovery and target validation with SCG's local GMP manufacturing capability and global clinical development, to accelerate RNA-based cell and gene therapy and mRNA vaccine commercialisation from concept to patient-centric delivery.

In line with the MoU, the three parties will work together on collaborative projects related to RNA manufacturing process development, analytics, automation, and digitalisation. A joint laboratory will be established, including cGMP runs in SCG's pilot manufacturing facility in Singapore, as well as a joint talent development programme to train the next generation of scientists and engineers in Good Manufacturing Practices.

In April 2024, SCG and A*STAR announced the launch of joint laboratories for cellular immunotherapies with combined funding of close to S$30 million supported under Singapore's Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan (RIE2025). The joint laboratories, established at SCG's GMP facility and A*STAR BTI's research facility, leverage SCG's and A*STAR's proprietary technologies to develop scalable GMP-grade induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and therapeutic products. The collaboration also bridges the expertise between public sector R&D and industry, consolidating resources from SCG Cell Therapy and A*STAR to advance innovative R&D towards GMP manufacturing ^[1].

RNA-based therapeutics represent a promising class of treatments that use nucleic acids such as RNA to target and modify the genetic material within cells. This approach has the potential to treat a variety of diseases, including cancers and viral infections, by leveraging the body's own mechanisms to produce therapeutic proteins or modify gene expression. The rapidly evolving field of RNA therapeutics has gained significant attention for its ability to address conditions that were previously difficult to treat with conventional therapies.

"RNA-based therapies are an emerging class of therapies holding the promise of revolutionising the way we treat a wide range of diseases. It has the potential to treat conditions that historically do not respond to conventional treatments. As a key player in precision immunotherapy, SCG has developed in-house cGMP manufacturing capabilities to supply high-quality products to patients. Through this this joint collaboration with A*STAR, we bring together A*STAR's advanced RNA technology and bioprocessing capabilities with our expertise in GMP manufacturing and clinical development, furthering our mission to provide affordable treatment options to patients", said Christy Ma, Chief Strategy Officer of SCG Cell Therapy.

"A*STAR BTI and SCG Cell Therapy have a longstanding partnership that has driven significant advances in SCG's clinical pipeline through innovative technology development. We are excited to expand this collaboration to include NATi, working together to accelerate the clinical and commercial potential of nucleic acid therapeutics. Public-private partnerships like ours with SCG are essential to fostering innovation and growth in Singapore's biomedical sector. By leveraging A*STAR BTI's bioprocessing expertise, this collaboration aims to strengthen mRNA biomanufacturing capabilities and establish RNA as a key pillar of Singapore's pharmaceutical industry," said Dr Koh Boon Tong, Executive Director of A*STAR BTI and NATi.