Translate Bio

Translate Bio was a clinical-stage messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics company focused on developing a novel class of medicines for diseases caused by protein or gene dysfunction and for the prevention of infectious diseases through vaccines. Founded in 2011 as RaNA Therapeutics, the company was co-founded by scientist Arthur Krieg, who later served as CEO of RaNA, which became Translate Bio. The company operated from its headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Ronald Renaud, a seasoned executive with a background in biotechnology finance and leadership at companies like Idenix Pharmaceuticals and Amgen, joined as CEO in 2014. His leadership was instrumental in guiding the company from an early-stage startup to its initial public offering and establishing its prominent mRNA technology platform. The company's core technology, the MRT™ platform, was designed to create mRNA that instructs the body's own cells to produce functional proteins, thereby treating the underlying cause of a disease or generating protective immunity. This platform was seen as having broad applicability across various therapeutic areas, including pulmonary diseases, liver conditions, immunology, and oncology.

The company's business model revolved around internal drug development and strategic partnerships with major pharmaceutical firms. A pivotal moment in its history was the establishment of a collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur in June 2018 to develop mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases. This partnership was significantly expanded in 2020 with a $425 million upfront payment to Translate Bio, aimed at accelerating the development of vaccines for a wide range of infectious diseases, including a candidate for COVID-19 (MRT5500) and seasonal influenza. These collaboration agreements provided substantial, non-dilutive funding through upfront payments, milestone achievements, and potential future royalties on worldwide sales, while Sanofi covered all development costs. Translate Bio's primary internal therapeutic focus was on rare pulmonary diseases, with its lead candidate, MRT5005, being developed as an inhaled treatment for cystic fibrosis.

In a strategic move to fully integrate this mRNA technology, Sanofi announced its acquisition of Translate Bio in August 2021 for approximately $3.2 billion. The acquisition was completed in September 2021, and Translate Bio became an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanofi. This buyout was part of Sanofi's broader strategy to establish an mRNA Center of Excellence and accelerate its capabilities in developing next-generation vaccines and therapeutics, moving beyond its traditional vaccine development methods.

Keywords: mRNA therapeutics, vaccine development, Sanofi acquisition, cystic fibrosis treatment, rare pulmonary diseases, gene dysfunction, MRT platform, Ronald Renaud, Arthur Krieg, infectious disease vaccines, messenger RNA, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical, clinical-stage, inhaled treatment, protein therapies, liver diseases, Sanofi Pasteur collaboration, MRT5005, MRT5500