Quantoom Biosciences S.A., a Univercells company, announced the successful installation of the first Ntensify midi system for mRNA manufacturing at Afrigen Biologics in Cape Town, South Africa. This marks a significant milestone on Quantoom’s efforts to change the way mRNA is manufactured.

Within the framework of the mRNA technology transfer program driven by the World Health Organization (WHO), Quantoom has been chosen by Afrigen as the technology partner for the second-generation process and equipment. This collaboration will facilitate the development of the first African-owned mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, serving as the base for an mRNA vaccine platform that will provide equitable access to vaccines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

According to the company, the Ntensify midi system has a completely redesigned and optimized process for mRNA synthesis and purification. The construct-agnostic platform, used with complementary reagent pre-mixes, allows for the automated continuous production of gram-scale quantities of mRNA drug substance in a cost-effective manner.

“Our team is thrilled to have shipped and installed our first Ntensify system in Cape Town,” said José Castillo, CEO of Quantoom. “This marks an important milestone for the company as it’s the realization of a project we started less than two years ago. Back then, we wanted to revolutionize mRNA production and find innovative ways to support vaccine manufacturing during future potential pandemics. The Ntensify midi system brings radical innovation to mRNA production, and its successful installation in Cape Town is a testament to Quantoom’s commitment to providing innovative solutions for global health.”

Petro Terblanche, CEO of Afrigen said: “We are delighted to partner with Quantoom for the development of the first African-owned mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The successful installation of the Ntensify system in Cape Town is a crucial step towards achieving this goal and ensuring equitable access to vaccines for LMICs. We are excited about the potential of this game-changing technology for continuous mRNA manufacturing, and we look forward to leveraging it to create a sustainable and reliable supply of vaccines in Africa.”