Trending...
- Pre-Seed VC Martin Tobias Makes Fundraising Tool Available to Every Startup CEO as Investor Match
- LocalsVoted Launches: Local Rankings From Phone-Verified Votes, Not Paid Placement
- Spokane Police is Seeking Assistance Locating a Missing Adult Male
SEATTLE, July 10, 2024 ~ Seattle-based biotech company, Orlance, Inc., has recently been granted a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant, worth $300,000 per year for two years, will be used to develop and optimize RNA vaccine formulations using Orlance's needle-free MACH-1™ platform.
The MACH-1 platform aims to enhance the safety, stability, and efficacy of RNA vaccines for infectious diseases such as influenza and Covid-19, as well as cancer immunotherapy applications. This technology represents a significant advancement in RNA vaccine delivery compared to traditional methods.
Unlike traditional lipid nanoparticle (LNP) RNA vaccine formulations that require ultra-cold storage and have been associated with rare adverse events like myocarditis, the MACH-1 platform utilizes dry, stable RNA-coated gold microparticles. These microparticles are propelled directly into the epidermis using a burst of pressurized gas. Once they penetrate the skin's outermost layer, they are taken up by immune cells that reside there.
More on Washingtoner
This needle-free and painless delivery system not only ensures better stability at ambient temperatures but also provides significant supply chain advantages in both developed and low-resource settings. Additionally, it can significantly improve patient comfort and compliance associated with discomfort and fear of needle-based injections.
The SBIR-funded project, titled "Gene Gun-delivered RNA vaccines," will be led by Orlance Principal Investigators Hannah Frizzell, PhD and Kenneth Bagley, PhD. The team aims to optimize RNA formulations for MACH-1 gene gun delivery that maximize loading, maintain functional integrity, and ensure stability and immunogenicity. They will also compare the effectiveness of MACH-1 delivered RNA vaccines against traditional LNP/RNA vaccines in inducing immune responses in preclinical models.
Preliminary studies have shown promising results with MACH-1 delivered RNA vaccines achieving comparable immunogenicity to LNP/RNA vaccines with significantly lower doses. Orlance co-founder and CEO, Kristyn Aalto, explains that while mRNA vaccines have shown great potential in recent years, there is still significant work to be done to improve their utility and global health impact.
More on Washingtoner
The grant will enable Orlance to conduct crucial preclinical studies and pave the way for subsequent phases of development, ultimately leading to clinical trials. Aalto also mentions that Orlance already has a well-developed MACH-1 DNA vaccine candidate portfolio and offering both DNA and RNA vaccine options allows them to provide ideal solutions for specific indications.
Founded in 2016 as a spin-out from the University of Washington (UW), Orlance is focused on developing next-generation MACH-1 vaccines and cancer immunotherapies. With $13M in SBIR funding awarded to date, the company has made significant progress towards readiness for initial regulatory filings in 2024. They plan to initiate Phase I clinical trials for their lead infectious disease asset in 2025 and are actively partnering with other vaccine developers to develop MACH-1 vaccine and immunotherapy candidates across multiple indications.
Orlance's MACH-1 platform has the potential to revolutionize RNA vaccine delivery, making it safer, more stable, and more effective. With the support of NIH's SBIR grant, Orlance is one step closer to achieving their goal of improving global health through innovative genetic vaccines.
The MACH-1 platform aims to enhance the safety, stability, and efficacy of RNA vaccines for infectious diseases such as influenza and Covid-19, as well as cancer immunotherapy applications. This technology represents a significant advancement in RNA vaccine delivery compared to traditional methods.
Unlike traditional lipid nanoparticle (LNP) RNA vaccine formulations that require ultra-cold storage and have been associated with rare adverse events like myocarditis, the MACH-1 platform utilizes dry, stable RNA-coated gold microparticles. These microparticles are propelled directly into the epidermis using a burst of pressurized gas. Once they penetrate the skin's outermost layer, they are taken up by immune cells that reside there.
More on Washingtoner
- New Atlas Maps the 38 States Behind Every Conversation
- Atlanta Company Launches Free, Ad-Free, Nonpartisan Voter Planning App for All 50 States Ahead of the Nov. 3 Election
- NECP Promotes Chertova to Senior Business Analyst
- Security Industry Veteran Anthony Rumore Launches AegisLead to Help Security Companies Find Business and Manage Growth
- Charlie Shaw and Patrick Carragher win SEO Agency of the Year 2026
This needle-free and painless delivery system not only ensures better stability at ambient temperatures but also provides significant supply chain advantages in both developed and low-resource settings. Additionally, it can significantly improve patient comfort and compliance associated with discomfort and fear of needle-based injections.
The SBIR-funded project, titled "Gene Gun-delivered RNA vaccines," will be led by Orlance Principal Investigators Hannah Frizzell, PhD and Kenneth Bagley, PhD. The team aims to optimize RNA formulations for MACH-1 gene gun delivery that maximize loading, maintain functional integrity, and ensure stability and immunogenicity. They will also compare the effectiveness of MACH-1 delivered RNA vaccines against traditional LNP/RNA vaccines in inducing immune responses in preclinical models.
Preliminary studies have shown promising results with MACH-1 delivered RNA vaccines achieving comparable immunogenicity to LNP/RNA vaccines with significantly lower doses. Orlance co-founder and CEO, Kristyn Aalto, explains that while mRNA vaccines have shown great potential in recent years, there is still significant work to be done to improve their utility and global health impact.
More on Washingtoner
- Canadian Woman Plants 1,667 Love Stories in a Field of Peonies That Could Bloom for 100 Years
- New Research Spotlight, Expanding TUSC2 Science & Strategic Development Milestones Put Gene Therapy Innovation into Focus for Genprex (NAS DAQ: GNPX)
- Proform Builds Releases Short Documentary on Founder Joey Fentress and the Story Behind the Company
- Tacoma City Council Passes Ordinance to Modernize Property Maintenance Standards, Address Repeat and Chronic Violations, and Strengthen Neighborhood Livability
- Spokane: SPD are Searching for a Vehicle in Connection with Fatal Hit and Run
The grant will enable Orlance to conduct crucial preclinical studies and pave the way for subsequent phases of development, ultimately leading to clinical trials. Aalto also mentions that Orlance already has a well-developed MACH-1 DNA vaccine candidate portfolio and offering both DNA and RNA vaccine options allows them to provide ideal solutions for specific indications.
Founded in 2016 as a spin-out from the University of Washington (UW), Orlance is focused on developing next-generation MACH-1 vaccines and cancer immunotherapies. With $13M in SBIR funding awarded to date, the company has made significant progress towards readiness for initial regulatory filings in 2024. They plan to initiate Phase I clinical trials for their lead infectious disease asset in 2025 and are actively partnering with other vaccine developers to develop MACH-1 vaccine and immunotherapy candidates across multiple indications.
Orlance's MACH-1 platform has the potential to revolutionize RNA vaccine delivery, making it safer, more stable, and more effective. With the support of NIH's SBIR grant, Orlance is one step closer to achieving their goal of improving global health through innovative genetic vaccines.
0 Comments
Latest on Washingtoner
- Dynamic Relaunch as AI Predictive Cybersecurity Company Optimized to Prevent Threats Proactively: Cycurion, Inc. (N A S D A Q: CYCU)
- EMBER™ Unveils the Workplace Identity Score™ (WIS™), the First Standard for Measuring Workplace Impact on Workforce Performance & Business Growth
- With Oil Prices Surging…Sky Quarry's Nevada Refinery Is Back in Action — CEO Highlights a Powerful New Growth Chapter for (N A S D A Q: SKYQ)
- Preston Dermatology & Skin Surgery Center and Dr. Sheel Desai Solomon Win Gold in Raleigh's Best Awards for Second Consecutive Year
- We are Talker Study: 64% of AI Users Have Bought From a Brand AI Introduced, as The Invisible Shortlist Reshapes Brand Discovery
- One in three Americans may have lost track of retirement savings from a previous job
- Political Concerns Drive US Investors to Golden Visas
- Tacoma: T-Town Takes Over the Dome Oct. 30
- New Book Savvy Not Sabotaged Helps Those Hurt by Betrayal Set Boundaries Without Shutting Others Out
- CPPS to Host Webinar on the Revised ASIS Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention Standard
- CPPS Renews ASIS International Preferred CPE Provider Status
- Sturtevant's Offers Free Ski and Snowboard Edge-and-Wax Services in Bellevue Oct. 29
- Pre-Seed VC Martin Tobias Makes Fundraising Tool Available to Every Startup CEO as Investor Match
- Squaawke releases memorial songs for Canadian woman who Homeland Security detained
- 2027 Health Insurance Open Enrollment
- Gahl Sasson Releases "Agents of Chaos & Angels of Change: The Astrology of 2027
- Spokane Police is Seeking Assistance Locating a Missing Adult Male
- LocalsVoted Launches: Local Rankings From Phone-Verified Votes, Not Paid Placement
- Tacoma: Homicide Arrest – 1100 Commerce Street
- Tek84 Unveils New Brand Identity Built to Magnify What Security Officers Can Do