Benchling Launches the First Complete Solution for RNA R&D to Accelerate mRNA and RNA Therapeutics Development – PR Newswire

Nearly half (44%) of top 50 biopharma companies are now involved in RNA work sparking new demand for tools purpose built for the full spectrum of RNA R&D

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Benchling, the R&D Cloud powering the biotechnology industry, today launched the industry's first full set of capabilities for designing, modeling, and studying both natural and chemically modified RNA in a single solution. As the biopharmaceutical industry increases its focus on developing RNA therapeutics, Benchling's new RNA solution is the first purpose-built offering on the market to help R&D organizations accelerate the delivery of drug candidates. Featuring an RNA-aware registry with visualization tools for oligo and mRNA design and the only tool with support for chemical modification of mRNA sequences, RNA biologists and chemists can now collaborate more efficiently, standardize their work across teams, and develop drug candidates faster.

Following the successful deployment of RNA technology in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines, biopharma companies have quickly shifted their pipelines to uncover therapeutic opportunities with RNA and mRNA. RNA therapeutics include a diverse group of therapeutic molecules that range from mRNA vaccines to antisense oligos, RNA-based gene therapy, and guide RNA-based CRISPR complexes. The unique function of these molecules, combined with the ability to adjust key properties through chemical modification or conjugation, has opened up novel ways of treating and preventing diseases. Nearly half (44%) of top 50 global biopharma companies are involved in RNA work through their own pipelines, M&A, or strategic alliances, based on GlobalData research1. Venture capital has also invested $3 billion into RNA-based therapies in 2020 alone, according to Nature.

While RNA therapeutics hold tremendous potential to impact human health, the R&D tools to create, test, and develop these molecules have been severely limited. Traditional chemistry tools cannot model the intricacies of RNA biology, while biology tools ignore the chemistry involved with RNA modifications altogether. As a result, there has not been a single software solution to date that addresses the combined biological and chemical nature of RNA therapeutics. Scientists have had to contend with manual, low-throughput, and disconnected software to manage their R&D work. Meanwhile, 82% of the pipeline of disclosed RNA and nucleotide therapeutics is in the research or preclinical stage of development2.

"We're at a tipping point for RNA therapeutics, having figured out tough challenges like durability and stability, the industry is now looking for the right tools to accelerate RNA R&D," said Ashu Singhal, co-founder and president of Benchling. "Covid vaccines were really just the beginning - as we put more tools in the hands of scientists to help support their RNA therapeutics R&D, this field will really take off. With Benchling's new RNA capabilities, scientists can now design, develop, and test a new mRNA vaccine or RNA cancer treatment from start to finish on a single platform."

"RNA has nearly unlimited potential to cure a wide range of diseases. Benchling's full set of purpose-built tools for RNA therapy development is going to enable us to realize this potential at an even greater pace than before," said Francois Vigneault, co-founder and CEO of Shape Therapeutics, an RNA technology company advancing programmable medicine and a longtime Benchling customer. "We are excited to see Benchling's continued investment in RNA innovation, and appreciate their commitment to helping companies like ShapeTX accelerate next-generation biopharma solutions."

Benchling's complete RNA solution is available today, and scientists working in RNA and mRNA therapeutics, RNA-based gene therapy, and gene editing will benefit from:

Along with the general availability launch of the RNA full solution, Benchling is making additional new product features generally available, including:

Benchling's mission is to unlock the power of biotechnology by creating modern software for modern science that empowers R&D teams to focus more time on science (not their software)! To learn more about Benchling and these new capabilities, please visit the company's What's New page.

About BenchlingBenchling is the pioneer of the R&D Cloud, software that unlocks the power of biotechnology. More than 200,000 scientists at over 1,000 companies and 7,500 academic and research institutions globally have adopted the Benchling R&D Cloud to make breakthrough discoveries and bring the next generation of medicines, food, and materials to market faster. The Benchling R&D Cloud helps these organizations modernize their scientific processes and accelerate collaboration so they can convert the complexity of biology into world-changing results. For more, please visit Benchling.comor follow us on Twitter at @Benchling.

1GlobalData by Benchling, August 20222GlobalData by Benchling, August 2022

Contact: [emailprotected]

SOURCE Benchling

See the original post here:
Benchling Launches the First Complete Solution for RNA R&D to Accelerate mRNA and RNA Therapeutics Development - PR Newswire