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Feasibility of mCura1: A kidney-targeted nanomedicine that promotes self-healing of Chronic Kidney Disease with messenger RNA.

Project description

An RNA therapeutic against chronic kidney disease

RNA therapeutics comprise a rapidly expanding field of drugs which has come to address gaps in recombinant protein technologies. Recent technological advances have allowed the intracellular delivery of RNA therapeutics that focus mainly on two approaches, antisense RNA and messenger RNA (mRNA). The EU-funded NanoMed-CKD project has developed a novel mRNA-based treatment (mCura1) for chronic kidney disease (CKD), a long-term condition that involves the gradual loss of kidney function and leads to renal failure. Given the limited treatment options for CKD and the significant complications associated with renal dialysis and organ transplantation, mCura1 constitutes a promising alternative.

Objective

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a little-known disease, but does affect 10-13% of the population in Europe and constitutes the 9th cause of death. Hallmark of this disease is loss of kidney function, leading to the progressive loss of the ability to clear metabolic waste and produce kidney-specific hormones. The consequences affect the entire body (heart attacks, anaemia,osteoporosis and cognitive decline) and ultimately become life-threatening. Management of these consequences with currently available drugs or dialysis does not stop, but merely slows the progression. The only alternative is kidney-transplantation, which is a very limited solution due to a donor-shortage and the relatively short survival of the transplant. In addition, these treatments frequently cause severe side-effects, resulting in a problematic decrease in quality of life. The chronic nature of the disease, the high number of patients and the high number of drugs per patient, together place a large (financial) burden on the healthcare system, consuming 4-17% of the European healthcare budgets.
In pursuit of the first curative treatment for CKD, Mercurna is developing a kidney-targeted nanomedicine, mCura1. The unique selling point of mCura1 is the combination of the enhanced safety provided by kidney-targeting and the efficacy provided by mRNAbased therapeutics.
Mercurna has booked very promising results in pre-clinical studies accumulating in several patent applications. In the NanoMed-CKD project, Mercurna will further develop its business plan to support the (clinical) development path to bring this groundbreaking therapy from lab to clinic to market.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020

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Coordinator

MERCURNA BV
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 50 000,00
Address
ENERGIEWEG 46
6541 CX NIJMEGEN
Netherlands

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Oost-Nederland Gelderland Arnhem/Nijmegen
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 71 429,00
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