The medical dermatology company Almirall has selected LAD116, developed using etherna's intratumoural mRNA/LNP platform, to move forward to IND-enabling studies.
Almirall has nominated the mRNA-based immunotherapy as a novel therapy targeting non-melanoma skin cancer.
LAD116 is developed using Etherna's mRNA/LNP platform, designed to produce a strong immune response directly within the tumour microenvironment.
The collaboration with Almirall on this promising new therapy will now focus on manufacturing GMP-grade material for IND-enabling studies intended for Phase I clinical trials.
Bernard Sagaert, CEO, etherna, said: "This collaboration is a perfect example of what can be achieved when teams are fully aligned and driven to succeed."
The combined efforts of both companies to discover and advance an mRNA-LNP-based therapy to preclinical candidate nomination, on time and on budget, have been outstanding.
"We are extremely happy to continue to support Almirall as they advance this promising approach for non-melanoma skin cancer patients."
Karl Ziegelbauer, Chief Scientific Officer, Almirall, added: "Almirall is committed to advancing innovation in medical dermatology to address significant unmet medical needs."
"We are very excited to advance this innovative intratumoural approach to potentially treat patients with non-melanoma skin cancer and we are delighted to see rapid progress of our collaboration with etherna based on their mRNA and LNP capabilities."
In a statement, etherna said that the nomination underscores strong partnership execution and continued validation of the company's mRNA and LNP technologies.