Formulating the Future: LNP Strategies from Lipid Screening through Commercial Readiness
In this symposium, you will learn:
- Explore how to screen and optimize LNP formulations for nucleic acid payloads to set preclinical programs on the path to success
- Learn strategies to develop a scalable GMP LNP manufacturing process to advance through the clinic
- Discover the rational design of lipid nanoparticles enabling RNA delivery beyond the liver
Detailed description:
This symposium explores the full lifecycle of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation—from preclinical lipid screening and formulation optimization to clinical and commercial manufacturing. Experts will share real-world insights into tech transfer, process development, and analytical tools that support a broad range of nucleic acid payloads. Attendees will gain practical perspectives on how to accelerate innovation and ensure scalability at every phase of development.
An on-demand version of this webinar will be available after the live event using the same link. Register now and access the webinar at your convenience.
Presenter: Bhuvaneshwar Vaidya, PhD (Manager, Process Development, LNP CDMO Center of Excellence, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany)
Bhuvaneshwar Vaidya, PhD, is leading the process development team in the Center of Excellence LNP CDMO at our company. He focuses on the process development and optimization of LNPs for nucleic acid modalities. After receiving his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, he continued as a postdoctoral researcher with a focus on developing various novel (nano) drug delivery systems incl. lipid-, polymer- and surface-functionalized nanoparticles for targeted and controlled drug delivery. He has authored 50+ peer-reviewed articles in leading journals and 10+ book chapters in the field of drug delivery sciences.
Presenter: Johanna Simon, PhD (Head of Formulation Discovery & Analytical Characterization, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany)
Johanna Simon, PhD, is heading the Formulation Discovery and Analytical Characterization team within the Early Formulation Screening Service at our company. Her work focuses on the preclinical formulation development of custom lipid nanoparticles for nucleic acid modalities. After receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry, Johanna has continued her scientific career as a postdoctoral researcher with a focus on developing lipid-, polymer- and antibody-functionalized nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery in vivo. Johanna has authored 50+ peer-reviewed articles in leading journals in the field of drug delivery sciences.
Presenter: Dominik Witzigmann, PhD (Co-Founder & President, NanoVation Therapeutics (NVTx))
Dr. Dominik Witzigmann is an entrepreneurial scientist and 2024 Highly Cited Researcher as one of the world's leading researchers in nucleic acid delivery. He held research positions at leading institutions (safety/tox, RNAi & cancer, targeted DNA delivery, RNA-based genome editing) and joined Prof. Pieter Cullis to focus on extrahepatic RNA delivery. He held leadership roles in Canada’s NanoMedicines Innovation Network (NMIN) and was on the CRS Gene Delivery and Genome Editing Focus Group Board. He co-founded NanoVation Therapeutics to advance next-generation LNP technologies for genetic medicines.
Presenter: Dr. Aditi Mehta - Moderator (Director and Head of Innovation - mRNA and LNP)
Aditi Mehta heads the mRNA Process & Delivery labs in Life Science Services – Technology and Innovation at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. In this role, she is mainly responsible for the development of novel, innovative solutions for mRNA synthesis – at various scales – and the development of state-of-the-art excipients for mRNA delivery.
Before joining our company in 2020, Aditi worked as a Postdoc and Group Leader at the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, focusing on pulmonary delivery of nucleic acids.
