From Bench to Patent: Advancing Nucleic Acid Delivery
A patent story by Xiaoxuan Wang and Giorgia Gerolimetto (both PhD students at the University of Würzburg)
During our time at RNAmed, in the group of Prof Lorenz Meinel, we had the great opportunity to contribute to a patent. The patent “Copolymers and Lipid Compositions for Lipid Nanoparticles” (WO2025168810) addresses limitations of conventional PEG-lipid-stabilized LNPs used for nucleic acid delivery.
PEG (polyethylene glycol) stabilizes nanoparticles and extends circulation time but has limitations, including limited design flexibility, potential immunogenicity, and restricted control over biodistribution and stability. Our invention replaces PEG with statistical poly(2-oxazoline) (POx) copolymers. Libraries of copolymers with adjustable hydrophilic and hydrophobic side chains are synthesized, incorporated into lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations, and systematically screened. Nanoparticles are evaluated for physicochemical properties, stability, and delivery performance. Correlating polymer composition and production parameters with functional outcomes enables identification of an optimized copolymer and manufacturing setting with improved stability, tunability, and delivery compared to PEG-based systems.
This work is supported by a close collaboration between the University of Jena, ISAR Bioscience GmbH, NGP Polymers GmbH, and the University of Würzburg. This versatile partnership ensures alignment with our broader project objectives and facilitates the coordinated integration of expertise across all participating institutions.
For our professional development, this experience has been particularly valuable in strengthening our interdisciplinary collaboration skills. Working closely with experts from academia and industry, as well as with patent lawyers, provided perspectives extending well beyond fundamental research. It offered meaningful training in scientific communication, data presentation, project coordination, and cross-sector collaboration, while underscoring the potential of research to translate into therapeutically and societally impactful innovations.
Reference
Weber, C.; Czaplewska J. A.; Schubert U. S.; Klüpfel J.; Steffens E.; Holthoff H.-P.; Ungerer M.; Gutmann M. O.; Gerolimetto G.; Meinel L.; Wang X.; Dirauf M.; Friebe B.; Copolymers and lipid compositions for lipid nanoparticles. Patent No. WO/2025/168810, August 14, 2025.
