GENEGUT

Oral delivery of encapsulated RNA nanotherapeutics for targeted treatment of ileal Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is a non-communicable, global disease with an accelerating incidence (up to 23 per 100,000 persons/year) and annual health costs in excess of 5 billion euro in Europe. Despite advances in new immune modulators and biological treatment, up to 30% of patients become non-responders, highlighting the pressing need for novel, advanced therapies.

GENEGUT will transform treatment of ileal Crohn’s disease (CD) by developing a first-in-class oral RNA-based therapy, tackling inflammation locally in the intestinal tissue, while avoiding systemic side effects. The success of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines demonstrated the potential of RNA-based therapies; the challenge is to extend this revolutionary therapeutic modality to non-communicable diseases where RNA delivery has not been achieved, such as ileal CD.

GENEGUT will result in an oral RNA therapeutic ready for early clinical trial including coherent plans for clinical trials and regulatory submission, thus enabling rapid availability for patients.

This project contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 9.

• Instituto de Investigacao e Inovacao em Saude da Universidade do Porto, PT
• Uppsala Universitet, SE
• CarboHyde Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, HU
• Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, BE
• Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients – Capsugel SAS, FR
• European Federation of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Association, BE
• Bangor University, UK
• accelopment Schweiz AG, CH