Continuous flow chemistry: from mRNA to small molecules

In this video interview, Curia’s President of R&D, Christopher Conway, and Vice President of R&D Global Operations, Sripathy Venkatraman, discuss trends in the pharmaceutical industry, including moves to adopt continuous flow chemistry for both mRNA and small molecule manufacturing. 

Conway explains  that the biotech sector has been facing challenges in securing funding, post-COVID, leading to a prioritisation of pipeline programmes in later phases. However, he notes that funding is starting to stabilise, and more programmes are being worked on. Venkatraman also highlights the increasing interest in funding for biologics, such as mRNA, antibodies and gene therapies, alongside small molecules, which he says have been put on the ‘backburner’ for the past year or so.

The interview delves into the benefits of mRNA-based therapies, including their simpler and quicker manufacturing processes compared to small molecules.

Venkatraman explains how Curia is working in partnership with a university on continuous flow processing for mRNA production. Conway also discusses Curia’s partnership with Corning to advance continuous flow chemistry in small molecule manufacturing.

Finally, the speakers explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is being seen as a game-changer in the industry, with potential applications in drug discovery, process optimisation, and predictive analysis. AI is expected to significantly speed up timelines and improve the quality of results.