BioTech IP Review

Application Number: PCT/US2024/056831
Filing Date: November 21, 2024 (published in 2025)
Publication Number: WO/2025/111430
Publication Date: May 30, 2025
Applicant: Prime Medicine, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, USA)
Inventors: Ekambareswara Rao Kandimalla, Mallikarjuna Putta, Seth Alexander

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What This Patent Covers

This international patent application relates to chemical modifications of the poly(A) tail of mRNA molecules—a region at the 3′ end of mRNA that plays a key role in stability, translational efficiency, and immunogenicity of mRNA therapeutics:

Modified mRNA Poly(A) Tails:

• The invention covers chemical modifications introduced into the polyadenylate (poly(A)) tail of an mRNA molecule (or non‑coding RNA), such as modified nucleotides or altered chemical linkages that improve stability against degradation and enhance protein expression once delivered into cells.

mRNA and Non‑coding RNA Molecules:

• The patent includes compositions of modified mRNAs (which carry coding sequences) as well as modified non‑coding RNAs. These modified RNAs may incorporate non‑canonical nucleotides or structurally altered regions at or near the poly(A) tail to tune properties like immune response activation, translation efficiency, and intracellular half‑life.

Methods of Making and Using:

• It also covers methods for producing these modified RNA molecules (e.g., enzymatic or ligase‑mediated poly(A) tail modification) and methods of therapeutically administering such RNAs to subjects to achieve improved protein expression or gene modulation.

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Why This Patent Is Important

1) Adds Value to RNA Therapeutics Beyond Prime Editing
While Prime Medicine’s core platform is Prime Editing (a precise genome editing technology), this patent application broadens its intellectual property into mRNA‑based therapeutics—a rapidly growing field driven by vaccines and RNA‑based treatments. Optimizing mRNA features like the poly(A) tail could improve many RNA medicines’ efficacy and durability, giving Prime Medicine a competitive edge.

2) Broad Platform Utility
Chemical modifications in the mRNA poly(A) tail could benefit a wide range of mRNA‑based modalities, including gene correction templates, therapeutic protein expression, or RNA‑based delivery systems used in conjunction with Prime Editing or other gene therapies.

3) Strategic IP Positioning
By securing patent protection for mRNA structural modifications, Prime Medicine strengthens its platform IP portfolio beyond editing machinery and guard sequences—extending into how RNA medicines are formulated for improved performance and safety.