BRIEF—Sino invests more in British mRNA start-up

London, UK-based invoX Pharma, a subsidiary of China’s Sino Biopharmaceutical, has increased its stake in mRNA vaccine company pHion Therapeutics, by an undisclosed amount.

Leveraging technology developed at Queen’s University Belfast, pHion was founded in 2017 with a focus on viral infections and oncology.

The company’s proprietary RALA platform can deliver anionic molecules such as mRNA and saRNA to generate a T-cell response, while evading detection.

The money will support growth of the company’s platform and help advance lead candidate PTX_V1 into the clinic in 2024.

PTX_V1 is a first-in-class therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers.