Hyderabad startup develops personalised cancer vaccines using AI and mRNA
PopVax has launched a new research and manufacturing facility in Hyderabad to produce tailored RNA medicines.
Hyderabad-based biotechnology startup PopVax is creating personalised cancer vaccines through artificial intelligence (AI) and messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, according to The New Indian Express. The company has opened the RNA Foundry, a research, development, and manufacturing centre in Hyderabad, in partnership with Stochastic Sciences.
PopVax founder Soham Sankaran said the company uses machine learning and molecular biology to design vaccines for individual patients. The process involves sequencing a patient's tumour genetic material to find mutations and identify neoantigens. These instructions are then carried by an mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform to train the immune system to attack cancer cells.
Sankaran noted that the vaccines are intended to work alongside existing therapies rather than replace them. The company is focusing on cancers where more than 80 per cent of patients die within five years of diagnosis. He added that the approach aims to make immune responses more targeted to minimise damage to healthy cells.
The RNA Foundry is designed to meet global Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards. Sankaran stated that producing high-quality RNA medicines is difficult and that specialised infrastructure is essential.
The vaccine candidates are currently under development and have not been given to patients. PopVax intends to work with a small group of doctors and patients outside India, aiming to make vaccines available through compassionate-use pathways by the end of this year, pending regulatory approvals.