NMIN
EVENTS
An AstraZeneca – NMIN CRS Industry Educational Workshop
as part of the Controlled Release Society Annual Meeting
28 July 2021
12-4 pm EDT | 5-9pm EDT
NMIN
About
AstraZeneca and the Nanomedicines Innovation Network (NMIN) are pleased to host this CRS Industry Educational Workshop as part of the 2021 CRS Virtual Annual Meeting, exploring the clinical translation of nucleic acid-based therapeutics.
Nucleic acid-based therapeutics can potentially treat or prevent many important diseases. Ensuring reproducible and efficient intracellular delivery to specific tissues is core to their success. Currently there are only three approved nucleic acid-based products using lipid nanoparticles as the delivery system.
The goals of this workshop are to outline the current status of nucleic acid-based therapeutics and their delivery systems; to review some of the delivery approaches and gaps; and to discuss some of the pharmaceutical development challenges and solutions in terms of formulation and process optimization and advanced analytical characterization.
This workshop features speakers with experience in different phases of translation (design, formulation/process scale up, analytical characterization, regulatory science).
About AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical business focused on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology.
About NMIN: NMIN is a federal Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) that has mobilized a network of experts and organizations from across sectors – academia, healthcare, industry and other not-for-profit enterprises – to strengthen and extend Canada’s position as a global leader in developing the next generation of nanomedicines.
NMIN
PROGRAM
28 July 2021
12:00 – 4:00 pm & 5:00 – 9:00 pm EDT
Part I: LNP Basics & Future Aspects
12:00 – 4:00 pm EDT
- Chairs: Marianne Ashford / Sanya Puri
- Presentations by: Pieter Cullis (UBC), Dominik Witzigmann & Jayesh Kulkarni (NanoVation), Norbert Pardi (U Penn), Raymond Schiffelers (UMC Utrecht)
- Short talks by: Valentina Francia (UCM Utrecht & UBC), Anna Blakney (UBC), Roy van der Meel (Eindhoven University of Technology), Christian Kastrup (UBC), Sarah Hedtrich (UBC), Colin Ross (UBC) and Dan Peer (Tel Aviv University)
- Panel discussion: LNP technology is ready for prime time – what is the next breakthrough?
Part II: Clinical Translation & Regulatory Aspects
5:00 – 9:00 pm EDT
- Chairs: Dominik Witzigmann / Terry Allen
- Presentations by: Tom Madden (Acuitas Therpeutics), Mark Cornebise (Moderna), Patrick Baumhof (CureVac), Heinrich Haas (BioNTech), Pierrot Harvie (Precision Nanosystems), Gunilla Nilsson (AstraZeneca)
- Panel discussion: Lessons learned and the future path for LNP-based gene therapies and vaccines
NOTE that all times in the program are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Featured speakers
Let’s talk about the importance of lipid nanoparticle design
Dominik Witzigmann & Jayesh Kulkarni, NanoVation (Canada)
Development of broadly protective influenza virus vaccines using nucleoside-modified mRNA
Norbert Pardi, U Penn (USA)
Off-the-shelf delivery system for RNA-based nanomedicines
Raymond Schiffelers, UMC Utrecht (Netherlands)
LNP technology enabling clinical translation of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines
Thomas Madden, Acuitas Therapeutics (Canada)
Design and optimization of novel lipids and formulations for systemic delivery
Mark Cornebise, Moderna (USA)
Manufacturing of Lipid Nanoparticle-based mRNA therapeutics
Patrick Baumhof, CureVac (Germany)
Comparison of different platform technologies for delivering RNA
Heinrich Haas, BioNTech (Germany)
Scale up, process development and manufacturing of clinical mRNA-LNPs
Pierrot Harvie, Precision Nanosystems (Canada)
Analytical characterisation of mRNA & Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs)
Gunilla Nilsson, AstraZeneca (Sweden)
NMIN
REGISTRATION
Access to this workshop is included in your registration to the 2021 Controlled Release Society (CRS) Virtual Annual Meeting.
A participation link and access to recordings of the presentations will eventually be made available on the CRS event website.
NMIN
SUPPORTERS
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical business focused on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines.
AstraZeneca focuses on three main therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disease (CVMD) and Respiratory – and is selectively active in the areas of autoimmunity, neuroscience and infection.
Their capabilities encompass both small molecules and biologics, and include immunotherapies and developing innovative delivery devices.
AstraZeneca has a strong focus on personalised healthcare capabilities.
Their teams work alongside the world’s leading academic and biotech research institutions to stimulate innovation and evaluate emerging technologies such as Modified RNA and CRISPR genome editing.
The Canadian Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (CC-CRS) is a local chapter within the international Controlled Release Society (CRS).
The CC-CRS aims to increase Canadian participation in all aspects of the international CRS body, by promoting Canadian research representation in CRS and at CRS Annual Meetings.
The NanoMedicines Innovation Network (NMIN) is a federal Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) that is mobilizing a network of experts and organizations from across sectors—academia, healthcare, industry and other not-for-profit enterprises—to strengthen and extend Canada’s position as a global leader in developing the next generation of nanomedicines.
NanoVation Therapeutics (NTx) is a private gene therapy company based in Vancouver Canada focused on preventive nucleic acid therapeutics for treating age-related diseases.
NTx is developing lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-RNA therapeutics to regulate proteins whose presence or absence influence acute and chronic conditions associated with aging.
NTx’s objective is to prevent or reduce the incidence of diseases such as cardiovascular, renal, blood, cancer and neurological ailments. To quantify the benefits of these highly personalized gene therapies, effects on the physiological (as opposed to chronological) age of individuals and thus their risk of age-related diseases will be monitored through a strategic alliance with a digital health company.
In addition to its preventive gene therapies, NTx is partnering with biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies to develop LNP-nucleic acid therapeutics for specific indications.
Precision Nanosystems (PNI) is a global leader in ushering in the next wave of genetic medicines in infectious diseases, cancer, and rare diseases.
PNI works with the world’s leading drug developers to understand disease and create the therapeutics and vaccines that will define the future of medicine.
PNI offers proprietary technology platforms and comprehensive expertise to enable researchers to translate disease biology insights into non-viral genetic medicines.