Circio CEO Highlights Circular RNA Potential for Safer, More Efficient Gene Therapy

During an interview with BioPharm International at the 2026 American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Annual Meeting, Erik Wiklund, CEO of Circio, outlined how circular RNA technology could improve the safety, efficiency, and scalability of AAV-based gene therapies, particularly for cardiovascular diseases.

How Could Circular RNA Improve the Safety and Cost of Cardiovascular Gene Therapy?

Wiklund explained that circular RNA biogenesis occurs more slowly than traditional mRNA expression, potentially reducing cellular stress responses and improving tolerability. According to Wiklund, this slower “ramp up” allows cells to better tolerate therapeutic gene expression while still delivering significantly stronger output.

“We can express up to 50 fold more gene with our system, but the cellular stress response is still reduced,” Wiklund said.

The findings remain early-stage and are currently based on animal data, but Wiklund emphasized that the technology could ultimately enable safer systemic delivery of AAV therapies for heart diseases. Lower dosing requirements may also improve affordability and expand patient access.

“It will make the therapy safer, and it will make it cheaper, and it will make it accessible to many more patients,” he said.

Wiklund suggested circular RNA-based expression could become essential for competitive cardiovascular AAV programs in the future, particularly in diseases such as chronic heart failure where safety and cost thresholds are especially important.

Beyond cardiovascular applications, Circio also presented broader platform data demonstrating the potential utility of circular RNA across multiple therapeutic and manufacturing settings. Wiklund noted the platform may improve efficiency, durability of gene expression, and manufacturing simplicity across vaccines, cell therapies, and gene therapies.

“You can almost, in any circumstance, where you're expressing a gene … make it more efficient, more durable, and simpler to manufacture,” Wiklund said.

The company presented additional circVec platform data during poster and oral presentations at ASGCT 2026, highlighting the growing industry focus on circular RNA technologies for gene and cell therapy applications.

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About the speaker

Erik Wiklund, CEO, Circio

Erik Wiklund is CEO of Circio, a biotechnology company developing circular RNA technologies for gene and cell therapy applications. He is a molecular biologist by training and a scientific co-discoverer of human circular RNA, with early foundational research published in 2011 and 2013. Prior to joining Circio, Wiklund held leadership roles at Nordic biotechnology companies including Algeta and Targovax, and previously worked in the Pharma & Healthcare practice at McKinsey & Company. He holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from Aarhus University and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.