RNA-derived medicines: a review of the research trends and developments

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

RNA-derived medicines: a review of the research trends and developments

Sponsored by

Logo 22.07.22.png
Coronavirus RNA strand. Medical illustration. 3D rendering

CAS considers how the emerging field of RNA therapeutics highlights trends in targets, chemical modifications, and new delivery systems that increase stability of RNA

In the last decade, there has been an encouraging shift in research, clinical development, and commercial activity to exploit the many biological roles of ribonucleic acid (RNA) for use in medicine. RNA technology provides an innovative approach to developing drugs against difficult or challenging therapeutic targets, holding potential across many diseases ranging from the largest global health challenges to extremely rare diseases.

However, RNA medicine has faced many challenges: RNA molecules are relatively unstable and transient, the limited translation into cellular protein expression can hinder efficacy, and foreign RNA molecules often trigger immunogenicity. Furthermore, the delivery of RNA molecules can be a challenge due to their relatively large size and high electric charge.

Some of these practical problems can be mitigated by chemically modifying the RNA, providing the opportunity to develop therapeutics that are more stable, effective, and tolerable for patients. The recent success of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 and the approval of new RNA-based drugs has provided new momentum to the field, building on the key milestones and achievements of the last 60 years. Advances in our understanding of RNA structure and function, combined with a robust production pipeline, have substantially increased the capacity to develop clinically effective RNA-related applications.

In this white paper, CAS used data from the CAS Content CollectionTM—the largest human-curated collection of published scientific knowledge—to review publication trends in RNA research, the application of RNA in medicine and the use of chemical modifications and nanotechnology to improve the delivery and efficacy of RNA pharmaceuticals. The white paper focuses on chemical modifications to the nucleic acid base, backbone, and sugar molecules to increase RNA stability, along with the new delivery systems that are critical to the success of RNA medicine.

Click here to access CAS’s white paper – “RNA-derived medicines: a review of the research trends and developments”

Click here to access CAS’s content hub on Managing IP

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

The insensitive reaction to a UK politician crying on TV proves we have a long way to go before we can say we are tackling workplace wellbeing
Adrian Percer says he was impressed by the firm’s work on billion-dollar cases as well as its culture
In our latest interview with women IP leaders, Catherine Bonner at Murgitroyd discusses technology, training, and teaching
Developments included an update in the VAR dispute between Ballinno and UEFA, the latest CMS updates, and a swathe of market moves
The LMG Life Sciences Americas Awards is thrilled to present the 2025 shortlist
A new order has brought the total security awarded to a Canadian tech company to $45 million, the highest-ever by an Indian court in an IP case
Andrew Blattman reflects on how IP practices have changed and shares his hopes for increased AI use and better performance on the stock market
The firm said major IP developments included advising on a ‘landmark’ deal involving green hydrogen production, as well as two major acquisitions
The appointments follow other recent moves in the European market as firms look to bolster their UPC offerings
Deborah Kirk discusses why IP and technology have become central pillars in transactions and explains why clients need practically minded lawyers
Gift this article