IP Library Granted Patent US 9,950,068
Granted Patent B2
US 9,950,068 · App. 15/379,284 · Granted Apr 24, 2018

Delivery and formulation of engineered nucleic acids

Inventors: Antonin De Fougerolles (Waterloo, BE); Sayda M. Elbashir (Cambridge, MA)
Assignee: ModernaTX, Inc.
A61K47/18A61K31/7088A61K31/7115A61K38/193A61K38/4846A61K47/22A61K47/28C07K14/535C12N9/644C12N15/87A61K48/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,950,068
App. No.
15/379,284
Granted
Apr 24, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are formulations, compositions and methods for delivering biological moieties such as modified nucleic acids into cells to modulate protein expression. Such compositions and methods include the delivery of biological moieties, and are useful for production of proteins.

Claims (22)

1. A pharmaceutical composition, comprising:

a modified messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding a polypeptide of interest, wherein the modified mRNA comprises one or more uridines and one or more cytidines and wherein substantially all uridines are modified, and

the modified mRNA is in a lipid nanoparticle formulation comprising a lipid selected from the group consisting of DLin-DMA, DLin-K-DMA, DLin-KC2-DMA, DLin-MC3-DMA, 98N12-5, and C12-200; a cholesterol; and a PEG-lipid.

2. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the modified uridine is a pyridin-4-one ribonucleoside, 5-aza-uridine, 2-thio-5-aza-uridine, 2-thiouridine, 4-thio-pseudouridine, 2-thio-pseudouridine, 5-hydroxy uridine, 3-methyluridine, 5-carboxymethyl-uridine, 1-carboxymethyl-pseudouridine, 5-propynyl-uridine, 1-propynyl-pseudouridine, 5-taurinomethyluridine, 1-taurinomethyl-pseudouridine, 5-taurinomethyl-2-thio-uridine, 1-taurinomethyl-4-thio-uridine, 5-methyl-uridine, 1-methyl-pseudouridine, 4-thio-1-methyl-pseudouridine, 2-thio-1-methyl-pseudouridine, 1-methyl-1-deaza-pseudouridine, 2-thio-1-methyl-1-deaza-pseudouridine, dihydrouridine, dihydropseudouridine, 2-thio-dihydrouridine, 2-thio-dihydropseudouridine, 2-methoxyuridine, 2-methoxy-4-thio-uridine, 4-methoxy-pseudouridine, 4-methoxy-2-thio-pseudouridine, or pseudouridine.

3. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more uridines are modified on the major groove face of the uridine.

4. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the modified uridine is pseudouridine or 1-methyl-pseudouridine.

5. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 4 , wherein the modified uridine is 1-methyl-pseudouridine.

6. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 2 , wherein the modified mRNA further comprises one or more modified cytidines.

7. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 6 , wherein the modified cytidine is 5-aza-cytidine, pseudoisocytidine, 3-methyl-cytidine, N4-acetylcytidine, 5-formylcytidine, N4-methylcytidine, 5-hydroxymethylcytidine, 1-methyl-pseudoisocytidine, pyrrolo-cytidine, pyrrolo-pseudoisocytidine, 2-thio-cytidine, 2-thio-5-methyl-cytidine, 4-thio-pseudoisocytidine, 4-thio-1-methyl-pseudoisocytidine, 4-thio-1-methyl-1-deaza-pseudoisocytidine, 1-methyl-1-deaza-pseudoisocytidine, zebularine, 5-aza-zebularine, 5-methyl-zebularine, 5-aza-2-thio-zebularine, 2-thio-zebularine, 2-methoxy-cytidine, 2-methoxy-5-methyl-cytidine, 4-methoxy-pseudoisocytidine, 5-methyl-cytidine, or 4-methoxy-1-methyl-pseudoisocytidine.

8. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 7 , wherein the modified cytidine is 5-methyl-cytidine.

9. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 7 , wherein at least about 95% of the uridines are modified and at least about 95% of the cytidines are modified.

10. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 7 , wherein about 100% of the uridines are modified and about 100% of the cytidines are modified.

11. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the modified mRNA comprises a 5′ Cap1 structure and a polyA tail of 160 nucleotides in length.

12. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the modified mRNA and lipid nanoparticle are formulated at a total lipid to mRNA weight ratio of 10:1, 15:1, 20:1, or 30:1.

13. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid is DLin-KC2-DMA or 98N12-5.

14. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid nanoparticle formulation comprises about 42% lipid, about 48% cholesterol, and about 10% PEG-lipid.

15. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid nanoparticle formulation comprises about 50% lipid, about 38.5% cholesterol, and about 1.5% PEG-lipid.

16. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the modified mRNA further comprises an operably-linked signal sequence, wherein the signal sequence is that of either (i) the polypeptide of interest or (ii) a heterologous protein.

17. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid nanoparticle has a mean particle size between 86 nm and 155 nm.

18. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid nanoparticle has a polydisperity index between 0.02 and 0.17.

19. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 further comprising a formulation buffer for in vivo delivery, wherein the formulation buffer has a pH of 6.5 and comprises sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and Na+-phosphate.

20. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 19 , wherein the formulation buffer comprises 150 mM sodium chloride, 2 mM calcium chloride, and 2 mM Na+-phosphate.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2025
From: MODERNATX, INC.
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073634/0354 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2017
From: DE FOUGEROLLES, ANTONIN; ELBASHIR, SAYDA M.
To: MODERNA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 040975/0319 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 13, 2017
From: MODERNA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
To: MODERNATX, INC.
Reel/Frame 041369/0289 →
Continuity (5)
Division 14337513 · Jul 22, 2014
Continuation 13897382 · May 18, 2013
Continuation 13437034 · Apr 2, 2012
Provisional Application 61470451 · Mar 31, 2011
Related Publication 20170258915A1 · Sep 14, 2017