Key points from article :
Sixfold Bioscience, a London-based biotech company, has raised $10.5 million in funding to expand its RNA delivery system, Mergo®. Backers, including Y Combinator, Cantos Ventures, Lombard Street, and Pi Campus, see the potential in Sixfold’s approach to overcoming the current challenge of RNA therapies, which mostly target the liver. Many RNA therapies, such as mRNA and RNAi, struggle to reach tissues outside the liver due to bioaccumulation issues. Sixfold aims to change that by developing a more versatile and safe delivery platform.
The company uses machine learning to screen chemical spaces and identify the best constructs for safely transporting RNA molecules to specific tissues. This iterative process feeds back data into the machine learning model to continuously improve the system. Sixfold’s approach is designed to handle various therapeutic payloads, such as mRNA and RNAi, and ensure biocompatibility to minimize toxicity.
The funding will allow Sixfold to further expand its platform into several therapeutic areas, though the company has not yet disclosed all its targets. However, they have shown interest in using small interfering RNA (siRNA) for cancer treatment.
Sixfold's aim is to overcome the limitations of current delivery systems, which are often too toxic or complex to engineer. Their technology could unlock the full potential of RNA-based therapies for many diseases. The company is based in London’s Translation & Innovation Hub and continues to develop its unique nano-architecture to safely guide RNA molecules to target organs.
With this significant funding, Sixfold is set to advance its innovative RNA delivery technology and explore new therapeutic applications that were previously difficult to target.
