Takara Bio Launches PrimeCap T7 RNA Polymerase for mRNA Therapy Development

Takara Bio announces the launch of PrimeCap™ T7 RNA Polymerase (low dsRNA), a mutant T7 RNA polymerase suitable for mRNA therapeutic research and development.

PrimeCap T7 RNA Polymerase is a mutant T7 RNA polymerase that has been genetically engineered to maintain high-performance RNA synthesis activity while reducing dsRNA production to less than 10%. Further genetic modifications have resulted in a 4-fold reduction of cap analog concentration in the IVT reaction whilst maintaining a capping efficiency above 95%.

There are currently two main challenges that need to be overcome in the process of in vitro mRNA synthesis: Firstly, the generation of highly immunogenic double stranded RNA during mRNA synthesis constitutes a major safety concern and, unless it can be reduced, represents a barrier to the use of mRNA therapies. Secondly, for in vitro transcribed mRNA to be translated into functional proteins, it must possess a cap structure at the 5’-end. While the use of synthetic cap analogs has proven to be a safe and effective way of adding this cap structure to synthetic mRNAs, their addition can represent up to 80% of the total cost of raw materials in the IVT reaction. We are thrilled to launch this enzyme which will remove both the technical and financial barriers to the successful production of mRNA therapeutics."

Dr Tarik Hadi, Senior Market Strategy Manager for mRNA Therapeutics, Takara Bio Europe

PrimeCap T7 RNA Polymerase is currently available in research grade, however, as we continue to expand our range of GMP-grade enzymes for mRNA synthesis, we plan to release a GMP version of the enzyme shortly. This new solution is fully integrated within our comprehensive portfolio of enzymes and reagents for in vitro mRNA Synthesis;