ACM Biosciences and Dr. Steve Pascolo, University Hospital Zurich awarded a prestigious Innosuisse grant to partner and develop stable mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

Basel, 27 May 2021 – ACM Biosciences AG, a Swiss biotechnology company focusing on the development of their proprietary polymersome-based vaccines, today announced that Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, has awarded a grant for the development of a novel delivery system for mRNA COVD-19 vaccines. Dr. Steve Pascolo, global expert in mRNA vaccines and group leader at the University Hospital Zurich, and ACM Biosciences will join forces to develop a stable and novel carrier for mRNA with improved properties regarding storage at refrigerator temperature, logistics, and flexibility.

mRNA-based vaccines are one of the most important scientific breakthroughs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these vaccines are burdened with drawbacks that limit their widespread use. Specifically, they are unstable, requiring complex cooling solutions for transport and storage, and the manufacturing of the final product is complex and costly. With this project, ACM Biosciences aims to maximize the potential of mRNA vaccines by developing a novel vaccine carrier system to improve their efficacy, stability, and cost effectiveness. The proprietary Artificial Cell Membranes (ACMs) from ACM Biosciences are based on an innovative nanotechnology platform using non-immunogenic polymersomes as its stable carrier. In parallel to this project, the company is developing a sub-unit protein based COVID-19 vaccine candidate in clinical trials and is conducting an mRNA proof of concept stability and immunogenicity study.

Dr. Steve Pascolo, Principal Investigator at the University Hospital Zurich and co-founder of CureVac, a leading mRNA company, commented:

“A polymersome carrier would have a simpler structure than a lipid nanoparticle carrier, which is the current standard for mRNA vaccines. This could yield clear benefits such as higher stability with easier storage and handling, cheaper production and making global supply possible even in areas with poor infrastructure.”

“We are delighted to collaborate with Dr. Steve Pascolo with the support from Innosuisse to validate the polymersomes for mRNA delivery,” added Dr. Peter Moran, CEO of ACM Biosciences. “Through this public-private partnership, ACM Biosciences will push this platform as a stable mRNA vaccine closer to clinics. We are excited with this opportunity to strengthen our pipeline of polymersome-based vaccines as a highly effective and stable carrier.

About ACM
Biosciences ACM Biosciences was incorporated in Basel, Switzerland, in 2020 as the human infectious disease vaccine company of ACM Biolabs, which is based in Singapore, a leader in protein vaccines and novel nanoparticle delivery techniques in the oncology and veterinary fields. ACM Biosciences is dedicated to the development of infectious disease vaccines using the proprietary ACM polymersome platform technology. These artificial cell membranes (ACM) are nanoscale vesicles that are conceptually very similar to liposomes and have shown to have numerous advantages for both veterinary and human vaccines, including viral, bacterial, and oncological diseases. ACM Biosciences is now accelerating a COVID-19 vaccine into clinical trials. For further information, please visit: www.acmbiosciences.com

ACM Biosciences vaccines have been successfully developed against coronavirus in animal health
ACM Biosciences provides a flexible, scalable, easy to manufacture and highly efficacious vaccine platform

Basel, 7 April 2021 – ACM Biosciences AG, a Swiss biotechnology company focusing on the development of polymersome-based vaccines, today announced the closing of a first financing round to advance its human vaccines platform and a second-generation Covid-19 vaccine. ACM Biosciences secured the exclusive worldwide license to the proprietary polymersome platform for the development of human infectious disease vaccines from ACM Biolabs Pte Ltd in Singapore, which is a leader in protein vaccines and novel nanoparticle delivery techniques in the oncology and veterinary fields.

Dr Peter Moran, CEO of ACM Biosciences, commented:

“With the great results we have seen so far from our technology in animal health, this financing is a key step in our strategy and will provide the necessary financial resources to progress both the COVID-19 vaccine candidate into clinical trials and the mRNA proof of concept stability and immunogenicity study.”

Focus on fast, efficient development of clinical vaccine candidates

The proprietary Artificial Cell Membranes (ACMs) are based on an innovative nanotechnology platform using non-immunogenic polymersomes as its carrier. Through past developments by ACM Biolabs in Singapore, the ACM polymersome platform has been shown to produce a safe and efficacious veterinary vaccine against porcine epidemic diarrhea, a highly contagious and deadly coronavirus in pigs, for which there is no effective commercial vaccine. By working closely together, the Singapore and Swiss entities have developed a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine which shows an excellent immune response in preclinical trials. With the necessary financial resources secured, ACM Biosciences will now accelerate its development of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate and proceed with the running mRNA vaccine proof of concept stability and immunogenicity studies.

Prof Dr Daniel Paris, Medical Director and Head of the Department of Medicine at Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute commented:

“ACM Biosciences’ technology has the potential to bring a step-change in manufacturability, and durability of vaccines, something Press Release ACM Biosciences AG, Steinenberg 1, 4051 Basel; www.acmbiosciences.com Page 2 of 2 which is urgently needed for a long-term solution to COVID-19, but also for other vaccine preventable diseases. Their preclinical efficacy data are really exciting, and their vaccine candidate should be taken into clinical trials as quickly as possible.”

Polymersome platform offers advantages in manufacturability and increases durability of vaccines

ACM Biosciences technology allows great variability because its polymersome platform is highly customizable and can be made compatible with different vaccine formats, including mRNA and protein antigens. A formulation with polymersomes also enables a vaccine to be delivered intranasally, which is not only a convenient route of administration but can reduce transmissibility by activating mucosal immunity. Furthermore, polymersomes do not suffer from vector neutralizing antibodies, are very stable for easy storage and shipping and do not need a complex cold chain. And they can be manufactured cost-effective and with scale. As such, the platform allows quick adjustability to new strains and is well suited for repetitive use and applications.

Prof Dr Onur Boyman, Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology at the University of Zurich added:

“ACM Biosciences’ next-generation vaccines can readily be adapted to emerging mutant viruses, which is crucial to control infection with SARS-CoV-2 and with other viral diseases.”

About ACM Biosciences
ACM Biosciences was incorporated in Basel, Switzerland, in 2020 as the human infectious disease vaccine company of ACM Biolabs, which is based in Singapore, a leader in protein vaccines and novel nanoparticle delivery techniques in the oncology and veterinary fields. ACM Biosciences is dedicated to the development of infectious disease vaccines using the proprietary ACM polymersome platform technology. These artificial cell membranes (ACM) are nanoscale vesicles that are conceptually very similar to liposomes and have shown to have numerous advantages for both veterinary and human vaccines, including viral, bacterial, and oncological diseases. ACM Biosciences is now accelerating a COVID-19 vaccine into clinical trials. For further information, please visit: www.acmbiosciences.com