LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG, a leading pharmaceutical technology company, has been selected as a Concept Stage winner for two projects in the #PatchForwardPrize. The #PatchForwardPrize is a $50 million challenge by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) that aims to advance microneedle patch-based RNA vaccine technologies.
The Patch Forward Prize, part of the Project NextGen initiative led by BARDA, aims to accelerate next-generation vaccine technologies. By fostering partnerships between vaccine developers and delivery platform innovators, the competition drives progress from concept to clinical stages, paving the way for transformative advancements in global health. Each of the prizes announced today represents an award of US$ 2 million, that will be shared between LTS and its partners.
The two awarded projects bring together LTS’s proprietary dissolvable Microneedle Array Patch (MAP) technology with mRNA vaccines from two partners, BioNet and PopVax. BioNet, a biotech manufacturer specializing in genetically engineered vaccines, is developing a trivalent seasonal influenza mRNA vaccine (mIV3) that targets conserved regions of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins from dominant H1N1, H3N2, and B influenza viruses. PopVax, an Indian full-stack biotechnology company, is developing a seasonal influenza vaccine built on their novel mRNA-encoded immunogen display architecture and LNP platform.
The focus of both projects is on addressing critical challenges in vaccine stability, delivery, and adaptability, with the potential to improve patient access and compliance. The focus will be on seasonal influenza vaccines, with the ability to pivot to pandemic strains if necessary.
LTS CEO Bas van Buijtenen commented on the news, saying “As a front-runner in drug delivery, we care passionately about solutions that provide better outcomes and better patient experience. We are grateful and proud that Barda’s Patch Forward prize provides an opportunity to BioNet, PopVax and LTS to create a breakthrough in vaccine administration. We look forward to delivering on the promise of the combination of our technologies through our joint programs.”
Dr. Frank Theobald, Head of MAP Program at LTS, added, “LTS Microneedle-Array-Patch (Map)-Program is proud to have received those 2 awards together with our partners PopVax and BioNet, with their innovative mRNA technologies. The BARDA Patch Forward Price allows the combination of 2 breakthrough technologies to be better prepared for the next pandemics to come. The financial support from BARDA will help to advance the MAP technology towards commercialization addressing an unmet medical need and offering the opportunity for self-administration as well as the opportunity for lowering the cold-chain requirements for mRNA.”
LTS is a trusted technology partner for the pharmaceutical industry, developing and manufacturing innovative drug delivery systems such as Transdermal Patches (“TTS”) and Oral Thin Films (“OTF”) as well as wearable drug delivery devices (“OBDS”). The company’s commercial offering includes more than 20 marketed products and a diverse pipeline of more than 40 development projects targeting multiple disease indications. LTS’s innovation pipeline contains both partner-funded as well as proprietary, LTS-funded projects. The company maintains its leading position through the continuous refinement of its core TTS and OTF technologies and by advancing emerging drug delivery technologies, including Microneedle Array Patches (“MAP”) for the transdermal delivery of small and large molecules, biological actives, and vaccines. With its SorrelTM wearable drug delivery platform, LTS offers patient-friendly solutions for complex drugs delivery at home.
Founded in 1984, LTS operates today from four sites: in Andernach, Germany, West Caldwell, NJ, USA, St. Paul, MN, USA, and Netanya, Israel. The company also has a representative office in Shanghai, China.
For further information, please contact Dr. Iris Schnitzler at +49 2632 992589 or email iris.schnitzler@ltslohmann.com.
For more information about LTS, please visit their website at https://www.ltslohmann.com/.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.