The grant will enable CatSci to invest in new cutting-edge equipment that will dramatically increase the rapid creation of a large pool of candidates of RNA/DNA sequences. This is critical for the identification of new therapies to address previously untreatable diseases.
Production of oligonucleotides is currently generally both slow and expensive, meaning the development of new sequences tends to therefore focus on producing small numbers of specific sequences only.
These represent a high level of risk owing to the high probability of failure. Through this grant, CatSci will develop a novel screening approach, which allows a very large pool of candidates to be screened against the drug target.
Not only will this increase the chance of success and reduce the level of risk, but it will also save customers’ time, money and resources. It will also decrease the impact on the environment as there will be significantly less waste in reducing the quantities of reagents and materials.
The SMART Flexible Innovation Support grant was rewarded to support companies in Wales to invest in innovation with the aim of improving people’s lives, growing the economy, and addressing the climate and nature emergencies.
The grant from the Welsh government will enable CatSci to create a multitude of high- end jobs in Wales and further cement their position as a vanguard for life-changing RNA medicines to meet the unmet healthcare needs of the world.
The new equipment will enhance CatSci’s state-of-the-art oligonucleotide laboratory, which opened in 2023.
The function is led by their Director of New Modalities, Dr Nigel Richardson. Nigel holds decades of experience in the oligonucleotides space, having previously led GSK’s oligonucleotide therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy into the final stages of development and regulatory submission.
CatSci’s 40+ years of collective experience combined with dedicated analytical support enable them to develop tailored solutions with speed and scientific integrity.
They are committed to accelerating the development and manufacturing of life-changing RNA therapeutics, and the Welsh Government SMART grant is just the latest step in their evolution.
