Biotech Ethris has teamed up with CDMO Lonza to develop room temperature-stable, spray-dried mRNA vaccines.
The vaccines will target a range of respiratory diseases via mucosal delivery, enhancing patient centricity and offering a needle-free alternative to traditional formats.
By developing medicinal products stable at room temperature, Ethris and Lonza will address the supply chain challenges often associated with mRNA vaccines; primarily the dependence on ultra low-temperature storage and the complexity of their distribution.
The companies also hope to promote mucosal immunity through these mRNA vaccines, which could help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases to others.
The initial focus of the collaboration is to develop a first-in-class mRNA vaccine candidate against influenza delivered nasally, which could allow for an immune effect comparable to intarmuscular vaccines.
Through this agreement, Lonza will provide spray-drying and particle engineering for vaccine candidates based on Ethris' stabilised, non-immunogenic mRNA and lipid nanoparticles.
Lonza’s development expertise enables access to ideal properties for delivery to the respiratory tract alongside physical stability, while preserving the activity of the mRNA encapsulated within an LNP.
“Lonza’s support and leading expertise is an asset and provides unique support as we progress development of our mRNA vaccine technology under the CEPI grant," commented Dr Carsten Rudolph, Ethris' CEO.
"Together, I believe we are well positioned to create promising non-invasive mucosal vaccine candidates that could potentially transform how respiratory diseases are prevented globally.”
“Spray-drying represents a well-established technique that addresses solubility and other manufacturing and stability challenges. However, its application in the field of DNA and RNA-based products represents a highly innovative approach, with another level of complexity introduced by the presence of LNPs," added Jan Vertommen, VP, Head of Commercial Development, Advanced Synthesis, Lonza.
"Combining the expertise of Lonza Bend site’s particle engineering team with the SNIM RNA of Ethris, there is great potential to target unmet medical needs in the field of non-invasive vaccine delivery.”
