Médicament Québec Awards Two Major Grants for RNA Innovation with Financial Support from the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE)
Médicament Québec Awards Two Major Grants for RNA Innovation with Financial Support from the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE)
Montréal, June 18, 2025, Médicament Québec is proud to announce the awarding of two significant grants, supported by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE), for collaborative and structuring activities as part of its participation in La CELLULE, an initiative of the AReNA hub.
Revolutionizing RNA Therapy Manufacturing, an activity by Professor Xavier Banquy
A grant of $1,240,360 has been awarded to a team led by Professor Xavier Banquy of the Université de Montréal (UdeM) for the development of an innovative industrial-scale platform for manufacturing nanosuspensions that can serve as delivery vehicles for RNA-based therapies. The team of researchers from UdeM and Polytechnique Montréal will combine artificial intelligence and spinning disk mixers to simplify large-scale production of RNA therapies and vaccines while ensuring quality, efficiency, and compliance with pharmaceutical standards. The Montreal-based RNA Technologies & Therapeutics Inc, along with Germany’s globally present Lipoid GmbH and the Dutch Flowid B.V., will participate in this structuring activity, addressing a growing industry need in Quebec, Canada, and globally. With contributions from partners, the total value of this funding will reach $1,865,860, strengthening Quebec’s position in advanced biopharmaceutical production.
Accelerating RNA Vaccine Development, a platform led by Professor Jörg Fritz
A grant of $1,172,800 has also been awarded to a team led by Professor Jörg Fritz of McGill University, to develop a platform to accelerate the discovery of new RNA vaccines and assess their efficacy through various administration routes. The platform aims for rapid identification of vaccine targets and accelerated evaluation of prototypes, with the goal of enhancing preparedness for future epidemics and pandemics. This collaborative and structuring activity will benefit from the contribution of researchers from Dalhousie University. The Montreal-based RNA Technologies & Therapeutics Inc., along with the European firm NovoArc GmbH, the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute for Genomic Medicine, and McGill University’s D2R (DNA to RNA) initiative are partners in the platform. Their contributions will increase the project’s total value to $2,196,800. Once deployed, this platform will be accessible to the entire Quebec ecosystem, fostering innovation and collaboration through cutting-edge tools to accelerate the research and development of new vaccines needed by the population.
“Our government is proud to support these two projects aimed at designing innovative platforms that will propel companies developing RNA therapies. With the AReNA hub and its collaborative and structuring initiatives, such as La CELLULE, we are building a strong industrial sector in Québec in this promising field,” said Christopher Skeete, Minister for the Economy, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism, and Minister Responsible for the Laval Region.
“By advancing new RNA-based technologies, these two collaborative and structuring activities embody the shared vision of Médicament Québec and La CELLULE to strengthen Quebec’s autonomy in the field of drugs and vaccines,” said Arianne Trudeau, Director of Médicament Québec.
“Within La CELLULE, we are proud to pool our resources and expertise to bring forth transformative projects that place Québec at the forefront of RNA innovation. These two projects perfectly illustrate our collective ambition: to translate scientific potential into concrete solutions that meet real industrial needs. By supporting the development of enabling platforms essential to the growth of RNA-based therapies, we are leveraging local talent to drive breakthroughs with global impact, ” said Véronique Dugas, President and CEO of CQDM.
“As an anchor company in Quebec’s RNA field, we are incredibly proud to contribute to the growth of Quebec’s bio-innovation and manufacturing landscape. By providing cutting-edge RNA solutions, our active participation in this initiative further indicates our unwavering support to the province’s ambition for greater autonomy and increasing leadership in critical biotechnologies, further cementing Quebec’s position as a global leader in biosciences. ” stated Pierrino Torbey, Interim CEO of RNA T&T
About Médicament Québec
Médicament Québec (MQ) is an initiative funded by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE) that brings together research and educational institutions as well as companies around a common project. It aims to increase the autonomy and dynamism of Quebec and Canada in bioinnovation and biomanufacturing. MQ supports structuring and collaborative academic research activities to strengthen local supply chains for medicines.
About AReNA
Established through the collaborative efforts of ARN Québec, Axelys, CQDM, and Montréal InVivo, AReNA aims to unite and champion Quebec’s leading players in the RNA therapy sector. Our mission is to position Quebec as a hub of excellence in this field, both nationally and internationally, fostering growth and innovation in the region. Working closely with key stakeholders in Quebec’s RNA sector, AReNA seeks to maximize its impact through strategic collaboration.
About La CELLULE
La CELLULE, one of AReNA’s five initiatives, is a collective that include Axelys, CQDM, Fonds de recherche du Québec, Génome Québec, and Médicament Québec. It aims to pool their expertise and funding programs to provide continuous support necessary for the commercial development of the most promising technologies that meet unmet industrial needs.
About RNA Technologies & Therapeutics
Established in 2022, RNA Technologies and Therapeutics specializes in the design, optimization and manufacture of high quality, small and medium size batches of RNA and targeted lipid nanoparticles LNPs. The company also offers formulation and process development services including the manufacturing of small-scale cGMP lots for clinical trials. Through advanced scientific innovations, RNA Technologies and Therapeutics plays a key role in the development of innovative RNA-based therapies and targeted therapeutics supporting personalized medicine and novel treatments shaping the future of medicine. For further details please visit the company’s website: www.rnatechnologies.com, or contact their world class team on info@rnatechnologies.com, and join them on LinkedIn.
For more information :
Arianne Trudeau, MBA, ASC
Executive Director
Médicament Québec
Vice-Rectorate for Research and Innovation
arianne.trudeau@umontreal.ca
