Company to receive approximately $7 million in funding from the Gates Foundation to use its srRNA platform to develop malaria and HIV candidates to address two of the world's most persistent public health burdens, subject to humanitarian licensing terms
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Replicate Bioscience, a clinical-stage company pioneering novel self-replicating RNA (srRNA) technology for applications across infectious disease, immunology, and other therapeutic areas, today announced that it has been awarded two research grants from the Gates Foundation. A grant of approximately $3.5 million will be awarded to support the development of a low-dose, multigenic RNA-based malaria vaccine platform, with the goal of expanding access to effective malaria prevention tools in low- and middle-income countries. A second grant of approximately $3.5 million will support the development of a novel self-replicating RNA-based HIV vaccine candidate to help accelerate progress toward effective and accessible HIV prevention.
"We are thrilled to accelerate development of our HIV and malaria vaccine candidates with the support of the Gates Foundation. We expect the clinically demonstrated high therapeutic index of our novel srRNA technology and platform will translate to these targets into potential new vaccines with improved durability, dose sparing, and safety for people in need," said Nathaniel Wang, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Replicate. "In addition, these grants from the foundation support our mission of ensuring vaccine accessibility for global populations to combat devastating infectious diseases."
"Overall, we are leveraging the clinical data demonstrated from our RBI-4000 program to tackle complex vaccine targets, in collaboration with a network of expert scientists," said Replicate's Chief Scientific Officer, Parinaz Aliahmad, PhD. "Replicate's novel srRNA technology and platform offer key differentiators for vaccine development, including the ability to generate both antibody and T cell responses, high therapeutic index, and ease of manufacturing. We look forward to advancing these potential novel vaccines to reach patients in need across the world."
About Malaria
Endemic in more than 80 countries, malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease that causes over 600,000 deaths annually, disproportionately affecting young children and pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries. Malaria-related deaths are largely preventable if effective vaccines are available and widely deployed before infection leads to severe disease. While WHO-recommended malaria vaccines represent important progress, their moderate efficacy, waning protection over time, and requirement for multiple doses limit their overall impact on transmission and mortality. These limitations, combined with challenges in manufacturing scale, cost, and delivery infrastructure, underscore the need for a more efficacious, durable malaria vaccine that can be more easily implemented in resource-limited settings. Malaria remains a priority disease in the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, and a central focus of global efforts aimed at reducing disease burden and advancing toward elimination.
About HIV
A global public health challenge affecting tens of millions of people worldwide, HIV continues to cause approximately 630,000 deaths each year. While existing prevention and treatment strategies have substantially reduced HIV-related morbidity and mortality, their impact depends on sustained access to healthcare systems and long-term adherence, which remain difficult to achieve in many low- and middle-income countries. A safe, effective, and durable preventive HIV vaccine is widely recognized as essential to reducing new infections and achieving lasting epidemic control at a population level. Despite decades of scientific effort, no licensed HIV vaccine is currently available, due in part to the virus's genetic diversity and ability to evade immune responses. HIV remains a priority for WHO and global health stakeholders, with vaccine development viewed as a critical component of efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
About Replicate Bioscience
Replicate Bioscience is a clinical-stage company amplifying the power of RNA therapeutics by pioneering its novel self-replicating RNA (srRNA) technology to overcome the shortcomings of existing mRNA approaches, with potential improvements in bioactivity, induction of more potent immune responses, and improved therapeutic index. RBI-4000, the company's clinical-stage srRNA rabies vaccine, has demonstrated protective levels of immunity at doses lower than any other reported mRNA or srRNA vaccine in Phase I trials. Funded by Apple Tree Partners, Replicate is advancing a robust pipeline of srRNA vaccines and therapeutics, fueled by its proprietary library of customizable viral vectors. With deep expertise in srRNA and end-to-end development capabilities, Replicate is uniquely positioned to expand the reach of RNA treatments toward widespread use in infectious disease, immunology, immuno-oncology and more. To learn more, visit replicatebioscience.com.
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Tyler.hubin@deerfieldgroup.com
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SOURCE Replicate Bioscience
