N4 Pharma LON:N4P has reported a breakthrough in its collaboration with US non-profit research institute SRI, demonstrating for the first time that its proprietary Nuvec delivery system can selectively deliver RNA payloads into non-small cell lung cancer cells.
The AIM-listed UK biotech said detailed analysis of the joint programme has confirmed Nuvec can be functionalised with targeting molecules, enabling the precision delivery of therapeutic RNA into tumour cells. The findings mark a step forward in the company’s ambition to position Nuvec as a differentiated platform for next-generation RNA-based medicines.
Shares in N4 Pharma were up over 80% in early trading in London on Monday.
The study combined SRI’s targeting molecules with Nuvec particles, which were engineered to bind to αvβ6 — a cell surface protein highly expressed in epithelial cancers, including lung, breast, prostate and pancreatic adenocarcinomas.
Results showed that therapeutic RNA, in this case small interfering RNA (siRNA), was taken up only by cancer cells targeted with functionalised Nuvec, while untargeted particles showed no activity.
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Nuvec can be a versatile RNA delivery platform
N4 Pharma said this selective uptake provided “proof of principle” for Nuvec’s potential as a versatile RNA delivery platform, with implications extending beyond oncology. “Targeting RNA therapies to particular cell types is highly sought after by companies developing RNA therapeutics,” said Nigel Theobold, chief executive. “We have now demonstrated Nuvec’s ability to do this in multiple systems, which we believe sets it apart from other RNA delivery methods.”
The development comes amid growing industry demand for delivery technologies that can overcome one of the biggest bottlenecks in RNA medicines. While RNA-based vaccines and therapies have shown strong promise in recent years, challenges with stability, manufacturing and, in particular, the ability to direct therapies precisely to diseased cells continue to constrain clinical success.
According to market forecasts, the global RNA therapeutics sector was worth $13.7bn in 2023 and is expected to expand to $18bn by 2028. Companies across the sector are racing to refine delivery technologies that can improve efficacy while reducing systemic toxicity.
Unmet medical need
Theobold said the latest results from the SRI partnership were “particularly exciting” because they represented the first use of Nuvec in cancers with high unmet medical need. “These data are a significant step forward because of the high demand for targeted therapies to support deal-making and build our own differentiated RNA therapeutics pipeline,” he said.
In parallel with the oncology programme, N4 Pharma has been developing Nuvec for immune system targeting. Its lead project, N4 101, uses mannose-modified Nuvec to direct RNA payloads to immune cells and is being explored as an orally delivered therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.
N4 Pharma capital raise
Earlier this year, N4 Pharma raised new capital to generate further data supporting Nuvec’s performance claims. These include its capacity to carry multiple RNA molecules simultaneously, low immunogenicity, stability, simple manufacturing processes and potential for oral delivery — features that could provide competitive advantages in an increasingly crowded RNA delivery market.
The company said the latest results would help shape a new scope of work with SRI, focusing on oncology applications and advancing efforts to establish Nuvec as a commercially attractive platform. “These data strengthen the validation of Nuvec and highlight its broad potential across disease areas,” N4 Pharma said.
