N4 Pharma plc has announced a collaboration with CMAC, the international manufacturing research centre based at the University of Strathclyde.
N4 Pharma is developing Nuvec, its proprietary gene delivery system to enable advanced therapies for cancer and other diseases.
“CMAC is a leading international manufacturing research centre with a unique configuration of academic research, applied projects and pre-competitive programmes,” said N4 Pharma.
“Working with industry partners, academic institutions and innovation collaborators, CMAC’s mission is to transform medicine development, manufacture and supply.
“This collaboration brings together the expertise of Professor Yvonne Perrie, MBE, Head of the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, alongside CMAC’s National Facility team and N4 Pharma’s scientific experts.
“The collaboration will focus on advancing the Nuvec platform towards clinical readiness and characterising additional dual-loaded Nuvec preclinical candidates, both in vitro and in vivo.
“Professor Perrie is an internationally recognised authority in drug delivery, RNA vaccines and nanomedicine manufacturing, combining academic leadership, regulatory expertise and extensive industry collaboration.
“She began her career with Lipoxen Technologies Ltd, developing liposomal drug delivery platforms before moving into academia, where she has built a leading research portfolio in advanced drug and vaccine delivery.
“She has published more than 150 papers, is an inventor on multiple patents and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Quotient Sciences. Professor Perrie is also a Commissioner on the UK’s Commission on Human Medicines and has advised the MHRA, WHO and other international regulators.
“In 2024, she was awarded an MBE for services to pharmaceutical innovation and regulation.
“Her work with industry partners is extensive. With AstraZeneca, she has led projects on lipid nanoparticle characterisation and advanced analytics.
“With GSK Vaccines Siena, she directed studies on cationic lipid nanoparticles for self-amplifying RNA vaccines and on how nanoparticle design influences vaccine potency. With Pfizer, she has collaborated through the CPI consortium on microfluidics and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, advancing innovation in nanomedicine manufacturing.”
N4 Pharma CEO Nigel Theobald said: “We are delighted to partner with the University of Strathclyde and CMAC’s National Facility.
“This collaboration builds upon excellent progress in our own programmes over the past few months and represents an important step in strengthening the commercial data package for Nuvec, giving us access to world-class expertise and facilities to accelerate its development.
“Working with Professor Perrie and the CMAC world-class scientists enhances our ability to characterise Nuvec in depth, showcase its unique benefits and explore its broader therapeutic applications. These efforts bring us closer to our goal of positioning Nuvec as a leading gene delivery platform for nucleic acid therapies, supporting both our internal pipeline and future licensing opportunities.”
Perrie said: “We are excited to collaborate with N4 Pharma on the continued development of the Nuvec platform. Our work at CMAC’s National Facility is focused on advancing innovation in drug delivery and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Partnering with N4 Pharma provides an excellent opportunity to apply our expertise in RNA vaccines and nanomedicine manufacturing to help accelerate the Nuvec® programme towards clinical readiness and broaden its potential applications.”
Massimo Bresciani, Industry Director of CMAC, said: “This project demonstrates the strength of industry-academic partnerships in accelerating medicines manufacturing. By combining N4 Pharma’s innovative delivery platform with CMAC’s technical expertise, we aim to unlock new possibilities in RNA therapeutics.”