ARCALIS Develops the Novel Proprietary 5′ Capping Technology “NaoCap™” and Expands Its Application to mRNA Manufacturing
ARCALIS has developed a proprietary novel 5′ capping technology, NaoCap™, and will begin offering it as part of its mRNA manufacturing services starting July 13, 2026.
The 5′ cap structure is an essential feature of mRNA, playing a critical role in enabling efficient translation in vivo. Consequently, technologies that can achieve highly efficient cap incorporation are of paramount importance for the development and manufacture of mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines.
To enhance the efficiency and reliability of mRNA capping, ARCALIS has been conducting extensive research and development in this field. As a result of these efforts, the company has successfully developed its own proprietary capping technology, named NaoCap™ (trademark application pending).
NaoCap™ is a co-transcriptional capping (Co-Capping) method in which a cap analog is incorporated during the transcription process. Compared with conventional approaches, NaoCap™ enables the production of mRNA with equivalent or superior yield and quality at a lower cost. The technology does not require specialized equipment or additional complex processing steps, while achieving exceptionally high capping efficiency. These features make NaoCap™ ideally suited for the manufacture of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. A PCT patent application covering the technology has been filed.
In addition, NaoCap™ is compatible with multiple types of cap structure. Its applicability has been confirmed not only for modified-nucleotide mRNA but also for self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) platforms.
Going forward, ARCALIS plans to adopt NaoCap™ as its standard capping technology and progressively introduce it across its mRNA manufacturing services for customers.
Further details regarding NaoCap™ will be presented at the following poster session during the 11th Annual Meeting of Nucleic Acids Therapeutics Society of Japan (NatsJ), to be held in Nagasaki beginning on July 7, 2026.
Poster No. P136
Title: NaoCap™, a novel & highly efficient capping method for manufacturing messenger RNA
Presenter: Naoki Matsumoto Presenting author:Kenichi Kawabe
For those interested in learning more about NaoCap™, please visit the above poster presentation or stop by the ARCALIS booth (No.29) at the conference. Alternatively, feel free to contact us directly through the ARCALIS website for further information.