Mekonos and Novartis Join Forces on Cell Engineering Platform

With so many of the world’s rarest and hardest to treat diseases being caused by genetic defects, the ability to create and deliver personalised gene therapy treatments is the key to curing them forever.

The most common method of treating these illnesses involves attaching a modified or healthy version of a molecule to a viral vector which then carries the molecule into the targeted cell. However, this process is complex and unreliable which has prompted Mekonos (freshly backed by Novartis) to develop a new method which deploys silicon nanoneedles to deliver DNA, RNA, or CRISPR molecules directly into the cells – negating the need for a viral-vector escort into the nucleus.

“Today’s announcement is a clear signal that Mekonos is building critical infrastructure to unlock personalized medicine at scale and enable cell engineering across life science verticals,” said Mekonos’ CEO and Cofounder, Anil Narasimha, Ph.D on the announcement of the funding. “We are excited to partner with leading investors who share our vision for developing a new era of cell engineering that can simplify individualized treatments across disease spaces.”

These innovative technologies will make the logistics of delivering effective personalised treatments for some of the worst diseases around simpler than ever.