ViaNautis Bio Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement With Lilly to Develop Novel Products Delivering Genetic Medicines

ViaNautis Bio recently announced a collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company in which ViaNautis will receive an initial upfront payment from Lilly, with the short-term potential for additional payments, including research-based milestones. Further milestones and royalties would be due should specific cargo-loaded polyNaut-based products enter the clinic and reach commercialization. This collaboration will leverage ViaNautis’ platform for precise delivery of genetic cargos to prioritized tissues to address significant unmet medical needs.

ViaNautis’ proprietary polyNaut nanovesicles are designed to deliver genetic materials with precise targeting of specific tissues and cell types. This technology aims to improve current genetic medicine delivery, potentially transforming treatment options for various diseases.

Dr. Francesca Crawford, co-founder of ViaNautis, said “This collaboration with Lilly is a testament to our polyNaut platform, which is also driving a highly differentiated emerging pipeline for severe life-limiting diseases. Combining our scientific know-how to precisely deliver genetic nanomedicines targeting difficult-to-reach sites, with Lilly’s extensive drug development and commercialization expertise will accelerate the creation of novel therapies to improve patient outcomes.”

Dr. Adi Hoess, Chief Executive Officer of ViaNautis, added “I am very excited about our collaboration with Lilly to develop novel genetic medicines for patients in need. I want to thank Fran and the team for their hard work in getting to this key milestone and I look forward to working with Lilly to accelerate our shared vision of delivering targeted genetic medicines.”

ViaNautis, was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from UCL. The company’s core mission is to exploit the unique capabilities of the revolutionary polyNaut technology. PolyNaut is a versatile nano-engineered polymer technology designed for targeted intracellular delivery. This innovative technology enables polymer nanoparticles to deliver a wide range of payloads from small molecules to genetic materials creating ‘a bionic nanoparticle.’ The highly adaptable polymer structure of polyNaut can be formulated to encapsulate a wide array of genetic cargoes, with sizes exceeding current standards for viral and non-viral delivery. Notably, it enables therapeutic efficacy of encapsulated molecules through direct delivery to the cell cytoplasm, facilitated by GOTO technology for intracellular shuttling.

PolyNaut is set apart from conventional non-viral delivery technologies through its remarkable ability to target specific cells and penetrate biological barriers, including the challenging blood-brain barrier. PolyNaut nanoparticles, when functionalised for CNS delivery through transcytosis, exhibit exceptional brain uptake.

Deploying its state-of-the-art polyNaut platform, ViaNautis is at the forefront of pioneering new therapies for CNS diseases and cystic fibrosis. The company is actively building an internal pipeline and collaborating with leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies to unlock the potential of promising genetic molecules as well as new therapeutic platforms. For more information, visit  www.vianautis.com.