The new firm will focus on and specialize in messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutics and vaccine development, with exclusively licensed polypeptide-lipid nanoparticle delivery technology and large-scale good manufacturing practices knowledge from Sirnaomics. RNAimmune will also focus on a proprietary artificial intelligence algorithm for epitope prediction and validation.

RNAimmune plans to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 with a unique mRNA vaccine design and mRNA delivery under the leadership of Dr. Dong Shen, PhD. Shen previously led projects across multiple therapeutic areas at AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Sirnaomics will have the right to retain an equity investment in RNAimmune, the firm said.