Three technologies, one platform.

1. RNAi API

HALO’s Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (MV-RNA) is our patented RNAi trigger- each exclusively capable multi-gene suppression. This sustainable technology holds the promise of treating disease safely, effectively, and is applicable to many human disease- either alone or in nanoparticle form. MV-RNA is a drug and architecture as one.

2. RNA CORE

Built from MV-RNA sequences, this self-forming single stranded RNA CORE is both the active ingredient and drug architecture for precision medicine. This patented-pending and sustainable RNA nanoparticle reliably forms an ideal size and conformation for bioavailability and holds the promise of novel methods of treating cancer and infectious diseases.

3. PARTICLE SHELLS

When combined with RNA CORE, this technology offers the potential to overcome the greatest challenge to biopharmaceuticals-delivery into cells. This exclusive aptamer-driven method introduces a first-of-its-kind methodology for self-forming nanoparticle based medicine, programmable for each target tissue.

HALO PARTICLE:
Engineered for Cellular Uptake

Over the past 20 years, RNAi biopharmaceutical development efforts have utilized synthetic polyplexes, lipid nanoparticles, ligand-directed attachments or modified chemistries in an effort to deliver RNA to diseased organs . Each approach has its benefits and drawbacks, but the ultimate truths remains- the promise of RNAi remains unfulfilled due to delivery challenges.

HALO PARTICLE™ is a first-of-its-kind biotechnology designed specifically to overcome the delivery challenges of RNAi-based biopharmaceuticals and allow for the rapid development any number of human disease treatments. Halo-Bio has re-invented RNAi to develop an integrated RNA CORE/SHELL nanoparticle; with a CORE capable of specific gene silencing and a programmable SHELL for the targeting of specific disease organs.

Using this patented, sustainable and self-forming biopharmaceutical platform, Halo-Bio experts are working together with industry partners for the development of treatments for human diseases.

Halo-Bio welcomes you to learn about how this novel RNAi trigger, CORE RNA and the programmable SHELL integrate to form bio-nanoparticles with properties to treat human disease. If you are a researcher with interesting peptides or protein for license, or a biotechnology company seeking collaborations/licensing for novel pipeline technology, feel free to reach out to Halo-Bio experts at the bottom of this page.

Polyplexed

Shells composed of soluble proteins mimic polyplex-like compositions with a range of cell targeting, trafficking and/or surface charges optimizations.

Enveloped

Shells composed of endo, transmembrane and ecto-proteins mimic exosome vessicles- also with a range of cell targeting, trafficking or surface charges.

SHELLS:
Aptamer-driven Protein Surfaces, Endless Combinations

There is no feature more important than a nanoparticle’s surface in determining its ultimate in-vivo efficacy. Whether injected, inhaled or orally ingested to target liver, kidney, brain or other organs, the challenges are numerous and mostly unanswered for large-molecule based medicines. A programmable method to optimize bioavailability has been missing. HALO PARTICLE™ now offers a first-of-its-kind method to precisely control the surface formulation of each particle using proteins of choice to target specific disease tissues. HALO PARTICLE™ surfaces can be lipid-containing or not, receptor specific, fusogenic, or carry a multitude of charges or solubility features to elicit membrane crossing into target cells- it’s almost unlimited and not dependent upon viral proteins.

RNA Core:
An array of active RNAi triggers

At the heart of HALO PARTICLE™, is a single-stranded self-forming RNA transcript that is design-constrained to seamlessly produce 40 nm spheres as an active RNAi nanoparticle core, but degrade into individual active ingredients- the MV-RNA. After years of work, we have this technique reliably producing the nanoparticle CORE with biophysical size ideally below 200 nm for cellular uptake, but above 20 nm to avoid rapid renal clearance. RNA CORE can target single 19 nt sites with a high plurality, or designed to cover a range of target gene sites at controlled molarity. This patented-pending RNA CORE can be used alone, or combined with our aptamer-driven surface formulations to escape the limits of RNA bioavailability.

Built on a Novel RNAi Trigger

The Multivalent RNA™ (MV-RNA) is a stand-alone active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with diverse uses as a native or chemically modified RNA, with or without ligands and can target up to 3 genes by itself. The MV-RNA format allows for API’s as 3 stranded annealed complexes, or self-forming ssRNA transcripts with a multitude of loop variations to achieve cell-specificity or formulation goals. This broadly patented RNAi technology promises to treat disease causing genes individually or as pathway-based medicine, especially meaningful for cancers and infectious diseases where multiple gene targets are beneficial.

More Information

CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH

Development of Universal Treatments for SARS-2 and
Related Coronavirus.

There are many organizations working on vaccines, small molecules and antibody treatments for nCOV SAR-2, but there remains a need for the development of a rapid-response treatments that can be deployed against SARS-2 and other future viral outbreaks when effective vaccines and antibodies are undetermined.  While vaccination is a well-established tool for immunity-based protection, a lack of a safe first-response treatment has lead to the most expensive event in U.S. history, and nearly the most costly in terms of lives lost…while awaiting a vaccine.
Halo-Bio is pivoting our patented technologies towards the development of a rapid-response treatment targeting intercellular coronavirus infections as a tool to prevent significant loss of life and the threat of economic security. If this medical treatment were available today, those with severe viral infections could have been treated and those without severe responses could have contributed towards herd immunity while maintaining a normal life.
We are investigating a hypothesis identifying a potential achilles heal which leads coronavirus self-destruction using our RNA technology. This method holds the potential to be a “universal treatment” towards neutralizing infections without the use of potentially harmful small molecules and especially useful in combination with, or prior to, effective antibody or vaccine deployment. This nano biotechnology is scalable and can be formulated for a number of delivery modalities best suited for reaching infected tissue.
This project was started in January and finished computational designs in early February. The original designs using the genome sequences provided by researchers in Wuhan, China continue to be updated with alignments toward mutated strains of nCOV SARS-2. We are preparing candidate MV-RNA RNAi triggers and CORE RNA nanostructure genes for production and testing. With a lead-candidate in-hand, we look forward to collaboratively preparing this material for additional validation and peer review.
When completed, this biological nanoparticle will provide a novel treatment for early-stage infections of the lower respiratory tract to prevent both the severe injury before the dissemination of the virus to other organs. It is our expectation that intracellular expression of fusogenic viral spike protein of coronavirus leads to membrane dysfunction and irreversible damage during viral replication in lung epithelium. To prevent membrane damage, and viral shedding, intercellular viral expression must be shut down. As such, our endpoint goal is to significantly reduce or eliminate viral expression and replication within infected cells while having no effect on healthy ones.


We invite any researchers with appropriate experience and capabilities to join us in this endeavor.

Stay safe and be well,
Todd M. Hauser, Founder

RNAi nanoparticles as a first-response treatment for COVID-19
1. RNAi is a published MOA against coronavirus (i.e.,SARS) with a single target against spike 3’ UTR.
2. HALO has designed MV-RNA to target an array of sites on three SARS-2 genes at crucial sites.
3. HALO is working on a novel treatment for Covid-19 disease by inducing the virus to self-destruct.
4. HALO PARTICLE’s can mimic the cellular uptake route and surface composition of coronavirus.
– Following cell entry into membrane bound location
– Provide optional modality of a structural vaccine in combination with disease treatment
5. Single and multiple epitopes will be explored with and without combination of disease treating CORE RNA.
6. HALO PARTICLE will be initially formulated for treatment by pulmonary nebulization.
  • DISCOVERY STAGE PROJECT A
  • COVID-19 DISEASE TREATMENT
    RNAi Nanoparticle
  • VIRAL TARGETS:
    Spike
    Membrane
    Nucleocapsid

    HUMAN TARGETS:
    IL-6 (optional)

  • TARGET SITES: 16
  • MOA: RNAi and undisclosed feature
  • CORE: 36 MV-RNA, 108 RNAi guides.
  • PROTEIN SHELL:
    nCoV Spike (or Glycoprotein binding fragment)
    nCoV Membrane
    GALA
  • TREATMENT: TREATMENT: Delivered by Intrapulmonary inhalation. Optional formulation by intravenous delivery.
  • BENEFIT:
    • Novel mechanism rapidly deployable against all coronavirus
    • RNA nanoparticle easily adaptable to sequence changes.
    • Convenient pulmonary administration
    • One-step manufacturing in bioreactor or in-planta.

Research and collaborate with us!

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