Principal Entity
Galenvs Sciences Inc.
Co-investigator
Martin Sauvageau
Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM)
Project of $599,598 over 18 months
- Supported by CQDM through:
Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie du Québec (MEIE) - And by co-funding partner:
– Galenvs Sciences Inc.
– Foundation de l’IRCM
– IRCM
Challenge:
The manufacturing of therapeutic oligonucleotides still relies predominantly on HPLC based purification processes. While effective for analytical purposes, these methods are economically, industrially, and environmentally limiting. They are costly, difficult to scale, and generate substantial volumes of organic solvents and waste. As the RNA therapeutics market expands rapidly—and as next generation chemistries and increasingly complex oligonucleotide architectures become essential for optimizing clinical performance—these constraints represent major bottlenecks for production capacity. Developing integrated, scalable, and sustainable purification and synthesis platforms is therefore critical to support the industrialization and clinical adoption of next generation therapeutic oligonucleotides.
Solution:
This project, led by Galenvs Sciences in collaboration with Prof. Martin Sauvageau at the IRCM, will develop high throughput purification and synthesis strategies for therapeutic RNA molecules, including siRNA and ASO. The primary objective is to eliminate reliance on HPLC by implementing approaches compatible with automation and adaptable to modern oligonucleotide manufacturing pipelines. In parallel, the project will focus on adapting conventional solid phase oligonucleotide synthesis protocols to accommodate new nucleic acid chemistries—modifications that are increasingly important in therapeutic applications due to their enhanced stability, reduced immunogenicity, and unique pharmacokinetic properties.
Expected Achievements /Impacts:
By addressing two major bioproduction challenges—large scale purification and compatibility of new chemistries with solid phase synthesis—the project will enable cost effective, high quality production of complex oligonucleotide therapeutics. This will accelerate the development and reduce the cost of next generation RNA therapeutics in Québec. This strategic investment will help build world class Québec expertise in the RNA and oligonucleotide sector, an area poised to transform medicine and biotechnology. In addition to supporting the creation of a highly skilled workforce, the project will strengthen Québec’s innovation ecosystem by establishing unique integrated platforms for RNA synthesis and purification, attracting international partners, and positioning the province as a leader in RNA based medicines—with significant economic, scientific, and health benefits.
