Ethris, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering next-generation RNA therapeutics and vaccines, and Lonza, one of the world’s largest contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), have announced a collaboration to develop room-temperature stable, spray-dried mRNA vaccine formulations for nasal mucosal delivery. These novel vaccines have potential to offer a promising, non-invasive approach to respiratory disease prevention, while facilitating its global distribution.

The collaboration, supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), aims to address key limitations of existing mRNA vaccines, such as cold-chain requirements and injection-based administration, enabling the stimulation of localized nasal immunity to help reduce virus transmission and improve patient convenience without the need for needles.

Lonza’s site in Bend, Oregon, will lead the formulation work. Known for its deep expertise in bioavailability enhancement and inhaled drug delivery, the Bend site will provide spray-drying and particle engineering for Ethris’ proprietary SNIM® RNA and stabilized lipid nanoparticles (SNaP LNP). These capabilities will support the creation of robust, scalable vaccine formulations designed to preserve mRNA activity and deliver optimal performance in the respiratory tract.

The first vaccine candidate to be developed under this partnership is a nasally delivered mRNA vaccine against influenza. The formulation is intended to generate a local immune response in the respiratory tract comparable to intramuscular vaccines while minimizing systemic exposure.

“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,” said Dr. Carsten Rudolph, CEO of Ethris. “Together, we are well positioned to create promising non-invasive mucosal vaccine candidates that could potentially transform how respiratory diseases are prevented globally.”

Jan Vertommen, VP, Head of Commercial Development, Advanced Synthesis, Lonza, added: “Combining the expertise of Lonza Bend site’s particle engineering team with the innovative SNIM® RNA of Ethris, there is great potential to target unmet medical needs in the field of non-invasive vaccine delivery.”

To learn more about Lonza’s particle engineering services, visit Lonza | Particle Engineering Services