Circio to Present Poster on CircRNA In Vivo Data at ASGCT 2025

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Norway-based Circio Holding (Circio) plans to present new and strengthened circular RNA in-vivo data in a poster exhibit at the 2025 American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) meeting in New Orleans, which will be held May 13–17, 2025 (1).

The poster (#655) will be part of a presentation entitled “circVec: A Powerful Circular RNA Expression Platform to Enhance Viral and Non-Viral Gene and Cell Therapies” on the evening of Tuesday, May 13, showcasing the latest results for Circio’s synthetic DNA and adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy platforms (1). circVec is described by the company as a proprietary technology based on a modular genetic cassette design aimed at efficient biogenesis of circular RNA inside cells.

Circular RNA, or circRNA, is a type of RNA molecule that is characterized by a closed-loop structure, distinct from linear RNA counterparts (2). According to Circio, its circVec platform can potentially boost both protein expression level and durability substantially, for both viral and non-viral gene and cell therapies, contributing to the emerging role of circRNA in gene regulation and disease pathogenesis (1,2).

Circio said that the recently generated in-vivo data it will be summarizing in its presentation validates and strengthens the circVec system in particular settings; the company said the technology can be deployed in numerous therapeutic settings such as genetic medicine, cell therapy, and chronic disease (1). Circio’s goal is to make the platform the gold standard for nucleic acid and viral therapeutics.

In a multi-part interview with Pharmaceutical Technology® Group in April 2025, Erik Wiklund, CEO of Circio, discussed some of the challenges facing smaller biotech companies, including lack of capital, employee layoffs, fewer but larger mergers and acquisitions, and a looming patent cliff—all of which are aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic (3,4).

“After the reset in biotech, a broad set of companies are gone, but this may create fertile ground for the future successes once the capital markets and the industry start to normalize, and hopefully this will happen during 2025,” Wiklund said (3).

Wiklund went on to reference the work that Circio has been doing on circVec.

“For a company like ours, which is building a really exciting new gene therapy technology platform, it has become difficult to fundraise in the current environment,” he said (4). “This forces companies like Circio to prioritize asset generation, picking a track and going deep in one single area, rather than to scientifically develop the platform to its full potential which would have been the standard strategy three years ago, where Big Pharma and investors were looking for technology platforms with broad therapeutic potential.”

Also in April 2025, Circio entered into a research collaboration with UK-based Entos Pharmaceuticals, under which Entos will develop and validate proteolipid vehicle (PLV) formulations of circVec DNA vectors (5). The collaboration will also include the joint development and in-vivo delivery testing of circVec with Entos’ proprietary Fusogenix PLV nucleic acid delivery technology.

References

1. Circio. Circio to Present Strengthened circVec Circular RNA Gene Therapy Data at ASGCT 2025. Press Release. May 6, 2025.
2. Zhang, J. and Zhao, F. Circular RNA Discovery with Emerging Sequencing and Deep Learning Technologies. Nat. Genet. 2025, online. DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02157-7
3. Thomas, F. and Haigney, S. Industry Outlook 2025: Talent Up for Grabs. PharmTech.com, April 10, 2025.
4. Thomas, F. and Haigney, S. Industry Outlook 2025: Mergers, Acquisitions, and Funding. PharmTech.com, April 22, 2025.
5. Mirasol, F. Entos Collaborates with Circio to Develop In-Vivo Delivery of DNA Vectors. BioPharmInternational.com, April 10, 2025.