The IRCM's RNA therapeutics expertise, though longstanding, has surged since the pandemic with the 2023 launch of the Sidney-Altman RNA Therapeutics Hub. A number of leading-edge projects and initiatives are currently in full swing at the IRCM, as the result of synergistic laboratory work, supported by the IRCM's technology platforms. This work is generating immense hope on several fronts for many diseases.
In just a few months, the IRCM in collaboration with McGill University and the Université de Sherbrooke, has launched the RNA Therapy Development and Production Network, which will offer RNA therapy discovery and biomanufacturing services to academic researchers and industry. Funded by the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie (MEIE), the Network will house three complementary cutting-edge service platforms, including the IRCM's Sidney-Altman RNA Therapeutic Hub, which is already in action. Combined with matching funding from the IRCM Foundation, this $2.5 million MEIE grant to the Sidney-Altman Hub will enable the acquisition of state-of-the-art technological equipment and the hiring of highly qualified personnel to develop groundbreaking precision therapies.
In February 2024, the IRCM also welcomed RNA Technologies & Therapeutics, a company with which Möröy, Lécuyer, Estall and Sauvageau laboratories at the Institute have forged partnerships. This will facilitate the evaluation of innovative RNA therapies for major diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and rare and degenerative conditions. Drs. Seidah and Sauvageau, in partnership with the Liphorus company, and funded by CQDM, are also evaluating the potential of RNA-based therapies to counter the development of liver metastases.
“We hope these promising projects are only the beginnings of an ambitious vision of tomorrow's precision medicine, based on innovative approaches using RNA therapies,” explains Dr. Jean-François Côté, President and Scientific Director of the IRCM. This initiative is set to grow, driven by the IRCM's commitment to advancing revolutionary work in basic and clinical fields, to address serious diseases through collaborative and excellent research.”
The IRCM Foundation salutes the commitment and generosity of its philanthropic partners who believe in the power of cutting-edge health research lead at the IRCM. The Hewitt Foundation was the first to commit to this visionary project in its early stages, with a $1 million donation. This generous support, which testifies to the trust placed in the IRCM, has also inspired other major donors, such as the Molson Foundation and the Bellini Foundation, to join this innovative and structuring avenue for biomedical research in Quebec.
“RNA therapeutics research is one of the great avenues of the future for overcoming the diseases that affect our loved ones. It is still in its early stage and will require all the financial support possible to accelerate breakthroughs in revolutionary therapies, explained André Couillard, Chairman of the IRCM Foundation. The Foundation is more than ever committed to bridging the gap between the IRCM's innovative research and philanthropic partners who wish to support the medicine of tomorrow.”
It is largely thanks to these important philanthropic contributions that the project was able to secure the support of major granting agencies in Quebec, consolidating IRCM's leadership position within the biomedical research ecosystem, both within the province and beyond our borders. In addition to the MEIE grant, the Université de Montréal's Partenariat Program, supported by Quebec's Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur (MES), also provided funding.
To find out more about RNA therapeutics research and become a partner, contact Mélanie Fontaine at fondation@ircm.qc.ca
