August 28, 2025
Circio is a pioneer in the field of circular RNA and the global leader in circular RNA expression systems for nucleic acid medicine. The circVec platform has the potential to improve both the potency and safety, as well as lower the cost, of conventional gene and cell therapy. Looking to the second half of 2025 and beyond, we are rapidly advancing to test the performance of this unique expression technology in multiple therapeutic settings, both internally and through external collaborations.
Enhancing gene therapy with the circVec platform
Under the leadership of CTO and circRNA discoverer Dr Thomas Hansen and CSO Dr Victor Levitsky, we have advanced our circVec platform to generation 3. Following extensive testing of circVec-AAV vector designs in vivo during 2024 and 2025, we have identified a specific design, circVec 3.2, which delivers up to 40x protein expression advantage vs. conventional mRNA-based AAV vectors in a tissue-specific manner. This marks a potentially game-changing discovery for the broader AAV gene therapy field, which is being held back by substantial toxicity for patients and very high cost. To fully explore the potential of circVec 3.2, our R&D team is now rapidly implementing this new design across our portfolio of AAVs to test and validate the performance in a variety of therapeutically relevant settings.
An important strategic next step for Circio is to forge partnerships with expert AAV companies to test circVec 3.2 in their proprietary gene therapy systems. We have already received interest based on the AAV-circVec 2.1 heart data presented at ASGCT in May 2025 and are pursuing multiple potential R&D collaborations. As circVec 3.2 provides further improvement and important technology validation, we now expect increasing external demand for our unique circRNA expression system. A number of corporate activities and scientific presentations are being planned for the second half of 2025 to ensure broad marketing of our strong in vivo results and of circVec as a versatile technology platform to enhance AAV gene therapy.
circVec for non-viral applications
The circVec platform also holds strong promise in non-viral DNA-format therapeutics. Based on the striking results generated in our collaboration with Certest, we have identified the spleen as an organ where circVec DNA vectors appear particularly well-suited for elevated and durable protein expression for at least three months, far beyond what is observed with equivalent mRNA-vectors. The spleen is the main hub of T-cells, as such these intriguing results point to potential applications in autoimmune diseases and CAR-T cell therapy. These are areas that have seen a rapid expansion of interest among specialist investors and big pharma in the past 2-3 years. Our strategic goal is to tap into this momentum by establishing relevant collaborations to test circVec performance in T- cell specific delivery, with the aim of formally initiating an in vivo circVec CAR-T program, either in house or through an external partnership.
Expanding in Stockholm
Following the many important R&D milestones and to pursue multiple available opportunities for the circVec technology, we have expanded our team and footprint in Stockholm. Over the summer, we moved into novel state of the art facilities in the Karolinska Institute environment that will allow us to accelerate scientific development and expand our team of talented and dedicated scientists. With this transition, we now have an infrastructure set-up in place for further growth.
The financial situation has also been improved with an extension of the Atlas financing commitment that secures funding until the end of 4Q 2025. Building on strong circVec data and establishment of external partnerships, we aim to continue to strengthen our financial position and shareholder base and eliminate the need to draw on further funds from the Atlas convertible bond facility. This will be a critical step to set Circio up on a continued growth trajectory to create ground-breaking medicines and long-term shareholder value.
The team and I are very excited to lead Circio forward through 2025 and beyond to execute on the exciting scientific and business opportunities that lay before us.
Dr. Erik Digman Wiklund
CEO Circio Group