- Almac Sciences introduces a new capability to synthesise therapeutic oligonucleotides, made possible by a new RNA Ligase (RNAL) enzyme kit.
- This marks the first application of Almac’s enzyme technology to therapeutic oligonucleotide synthesis.
Almac Sciences, a member of the Almac Group, has announced a new capability to synthesise therapeutic oligonucleotides. This has been made possible by the introduction of a new RNA Ligase (RNAL) enzyme kit that extends the company’s selectAZyme™ enzyme screening collection.
The kit contains a focused library of 10 double-stranded RNA Ligase enzymes, selected from an extended RNAL enzyme panel. These can be used to make single and double-stranded RNA, as described in a technical paper by Caswell et al. ACS Chem. Biol. 2023, 18(10), 2183-2187.
This development marks the first time that Almac’s award-winning enzyme technology has been applied to therapeutic oligonucleotide synthesis, a class of drug that has rapidly grown in interest due to their synthesis and manufacture. Building upon the strong biocatalytic technology base already available at Almac, this newly available synthesis leverages the company’s selectAZyme™ ligase enzymes to produce both single stranded and double stranded oligo products.
The Ligase panel has several attributes, including the manufacture of high-quality RNA oligo product using the Almac ligase 3:2:3:2 approach via RNA blockmer assembly, activity against both natural and unnatural nucleosides with modifications including 2’F, 2’MOE & 2’OMe modifications and many more. The enzymes can be immobilised and/or provided with low-endotoxin levels on request, and can be used to complement existing oligonucleotide synthesis by combining a biocatalytic approach with existing classical chemical synthesis.
Dr Jill Caswell, Biology Senior Team Leader commented, “Almac has developed a range of biocatalytic products and services to facilitate the challenges posed in biocatalytic oligonucleotide synthesis and this new RNAL kit has the ability to diversify and strengthen supply chain blockmer manufacture which can often shorten timelines, benefitting our customers greatly. The expansion of our portfolio of product offerings further showcases our commitment to providing our customers with the most innovative and efficient processes.”
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