ICH Revises Q1 Guideline, Advancing Stability Testing Standards

In April 2025, the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) released draft ICH Q1: Stability Testing of Drug Substances and Drug Products for public consultation. This new draft guideline represents the first major overhaul of global stability testing standards in over two decades.

"Mirror, Mirror…": Reflections On Reducing mRNA Production COGS

Here, I outline three overarching words of wisdom I gleaned from Life Edit Therapeutics’ April Sena; Tune Therapeutics’ Tyler Goodwin; and University of Sheffield’s Adi on how the mRNA/RNA industry can better control production costs — particularly as it relates to raw material sourcing and usage.  

Plasmid Production: 3 Key Takeaways For mRNA Manufacturing

Following my latest Live panel on analytical and manufacturing technology innovations for mRNA production, I wanted to provide a few high-level takeaways I gleaned from our discussion on the overlooked darling of the mRNA space: The plasmid. 

Britney Spears' Take On Building Platform Analytics for mRNA Therapeutics

As many of the presentations throughout the two-day USP quality forum revealed, we’re doing what we must to understand the benefits and the limitations of our methods. Yes, this is painstaking and expensive work. But understanding our methods is also one of the critical steps toward a future in which we can rely upon platform analytical procedures and — channeling our inner Britney Spears — say “[Ooo], I did it again!” to the regulatory agencies for each of the subsequent molecules in our pipelines.  

Is The mRNA Payload The Real MVP of Targeted Delivery?

As one delightfully colorful quote from a panel discussion at the AMM Ascent meeting last fall reminds us, there’s a lot more to be explored, discussed, and understood as it relates to the mRNA cargo’s role in targeted delivery. 

The mRNA Industry's Three Wishes: Can CDMOs Play The "Genie?"

During the panel discussion last November, three CDMO execs shared the biggest scientific, regulatory, and technological complexities barring a “magical” solution to each biotech’s wishes. However, as each of the AMM panelists pointed out, there are short- and long-term technological innovations in the works that will be essential in advancing the manufacturing infrastructure for mRNA therapeutics in all their shapes, forms, and scales. 

Methods for mRNA Poly(A) Sizing

This study used Oxford Nanopore Technologies' Direct RNA Sequencing Kit and obtained successful sizing of poly(A) tail regions. The results are presented in a histogram and table format.

Study Viral Infection In Resting Human CD4+ T Cells

Explore a study proving how synthetic single guide RNAs were used to optimize the editing conditions for resting human CD4+ T cells and maintain high cell viability for several weeks post Nucleofection.

CRISPR Off-Target Editing: Prediction, Analysis, And More

A crucial consideration for researchers is off-target editing – unintended DNA modifications at sites other than the intended target. Explore the complexities and strategies to mitigate these effects.

The Value Of Peptones For Enhancing Biopharmaceutical Productivity

Peptones, versatile media additives derived from various sources, offer numerous benefits for biopharmaceutical production.

Large Scale Purification Of Oligonucleotides With IEX

As oligonucleotide-based drugs gain momentum in therapeutic development, refining their manufacturing processes through solutions like ion exchange chromatography (IEX) becomes crucial.

Data Processing For Mass Confirmation, Impurities Analysis Of Oligos

Explore an automated, compliance-ready LC-MS workflow for intact mass confirmation and purity analysis of synthetic oligonucleotides including siRNA and large single guide RNA oligonucleotides.

Future-Proofing mRNA Drug Manufacturing: The Value of Continuous Improvement

With so many uncertainties permeating the mRNA market, this largely preclinical industry is still seeking answers on how to reach successful therapeutic development. Identifying optimizations, both sequence-dependent and otherwise, to enhance the manufacturing process is crucial for advancing mRNA product development, which holds vast potential to address a wide range of indications.