Circio announces research collaboration with the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela s TraffikGene project to advance non-viral circVec delivery
* TraffikGene and Circio have entered a research collaboration to test delivery of circVec vectors with TraffikGene s proprietary peptide-based delivery system * The aim is to assess whether TraffikGene s delivery technology can be deployed to deliver circVec into novel tissues for gene and cell therapy applications
Oslo, Norway, 29 April 2026 -- Circio Holding ASA (OSE: CRNA), a biotechnology company developing novel circular RNA expression technology for gene and cell therapy, today announces a research collaboration with Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC), through USC's TraffikGene project, to explore non-viral delivery of circVec circular RNA expression vectors for next-generation gene and cell therapies.
The collaboration brings together Circio's proprietary circVec circular RNA expression platform and TraffikGene's peptide amphiphile carrier system. The combination of these complementary technologies will enable high-throughput screening of circVec delivery with enhanced tissue targeting. The aim is to identify optimized formulations capable of prolonged, efficient, and targeted delivery of non-viral circVec vectors into specific cell and tissue types.
"Combining TraffikGene's carrier discovery capabilities with Circio's innovative circular RNA scaffolds opens a compelling new avenue for the development of next-generation nucleic acid medicines. We look forward to exploring the synergies between our two platforms", said Prof. Javier Montenegro, Principal Investigator of the TraffikGene project at USC.
The collaboration will involve three stages: initial screening of peptide carriers combined with non-viral circVec vectors in vitro, physicochemical optimization of lead formulations, and in vivo evaluation in mouse models to assess expression kinetics, biodistribution, and delivery efficacy.
"Cutting edge delivery technologies are essential to reach new tissues in an efficient and safe manner," said Dr. Thomas B Hansen, CTO of Circio. "This collaboration is an excellent opportunity to evaluate whether TraffikGene's non-viral carriers can unlock the full potential of Circio s circVec platform. In addition, it will allow us to evaluate circular RNA expression dynamics and tissue-specific performance in more detail, which are key research areas to identify new therapeutic applications for the circVec platform."
About TraffikGene
TraffikGene is a project at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela led by Javier Montenegro, Oportunius Research Professor at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS)
TraffikGene is currently being spun out into an independent company which will develop its proprietary peptide-based gene delivery platform (TraffikGene) for versatile, targeted and safe delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics
This stock exchange announcement was published by Mats Hermansen, VP Finance, on behalf of the Company, at the time and date stated above in this announcement.