Sanofi Commits $25 Million to MIT's Daniel Anderson Lab to Advance Next-Gen Delivery Technologies

Apr 14, 2023 11:49 CST Updated 11:49

Sanofi

Pharmaceutical R&D Developer

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Recently, Sanofi announced that it will invest in MIT over the next 5 years.Daniel AndersonThe laboratory provides $25 million to support the development of next-generation delivery technology.

Daniel AndersonA leading researcher in the fields of nanotherapeutics and biomaterials, he has pioneered the use of robotic approaches to develop smart biomaterials for drug delivery and tissue engineering. The advanced drug delivery systems developed in his lab have provided new methods for nanoparticle and microparticle drug delivery, non-viral gene therapy, siRNA delivery, and vaccines. In addition to his position at the Koch Institute, he also holds appointments in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering, the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology. Furthermore, he is a co-founder of Orna Therapeutics and a scientific founder and member of the advisory board of CRISPR Therapeutics.

▲Figure | Daniel Anderson

Anderson's lab has been dedicated to the research of novel delivery materials, including lipid nanoparticles and polymer particles, for many years. Much of his early work in this field was funded by Shire Pharmaceuticals, which was later acquired by RaNA Therapeutics. RaNA Therapeutics then launched Translate Bio after acquiring Shire’s mRNA therapeutic platform. In 2021, Translate Bio was acquired by Sanofi to accelerate the development of mRNA vaccines and therapies for a variety of diseases.

Anderson's lab developed lipid nanoparticles capable of effectively delivering RNA vaccines in 2019, and in 2020, created nanoparticles that can deliver RNA to different organ systems within the body. His research has contributed to the development of several RNA delivery formulations, which have undergone multiple clinical trials at Sanofi for various vaccine applications, including RNA-based flu vaccines.

As part of the new funding project, Anderson plans to develop a new lipid nanoparticle system that can be delivered in various ways, including injection and inhalation. Other aspects of the project will explore methods that can be used to enhanceImmunityDevelopment of Targeted Molecules for Systemic Cell Uptake of Vaccine Particles and Strategies to Enhance Vaccine Efficacy by Modifying the Immunological Properties of Nanoparticles.

Anderson also plans to develop new delivery vehicles for CRISPR-based genome editing. His lab has previously developed nanoparticles capable of performing CRISPR gene editing in the liver and lungs.