For past several years, DARPA has been pioneering a powerful new type of countermeasure against infectious disease called gene-encoded antibodies. They work by providing cells with genetic instructions for producing one or more highly protective antibodies against a given threat.
Following direct delivery to a person, these countermeasures work quickly; cells begin producing and secreting antibodies within hours, providing near instantaneous protection against threat exposure.
Additionally, it’s possible to rapidly manufacture significant quantities of these nucleic acid “blueprints,” delivering countermeasures at the scale and pace required to prevent an outbreak from becoming an epidemic.
As part of this work — initiated under the ADEPT program — DARPA entered into a cost-share relationship with @moderna_tx to pursue development and testing of mRNA-1944, a gene-encoded antibody that protects against chikungunya virus.
Yesterday, Moderna announced the dosing of the first subject in a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of escalating doses of mRNA-1944 via intravenous infusion in healthy adults. This is the first time an mRNA-encoded antibody has been tested in humans!
DARPA funded manufacturing of mRNA-1944 and pre-clinical studies; Moderna is funding the Phase I clinical trial. The antibody was discovered by Dr. James Crowe at @VUMChealth, working as part of the Moderna-led team on the ADEPT program.
Over the next several months, the clinical trial will generate critical data on safety and antibody expression profiles to inform future development of mRNA-1944 and other gene-encoded antibodies.
Moderna’s announcement is available on the company’s website: modernatx.com. Information on DARPA’s ADEPT program is available at: darpa.mil/program/autono….
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