Tag: biotech alliances in dermatology
Niel, Belgium – February 19th, 2026 – etherna, a leading provider of cutting-edge mRNA and
lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology across the biotech and pharma industry, announces that one
of its key collaborators, Almirall (www.almirall.com), a leading medical dermatology company,
nominated LAD116 as a novel therapy targeting non-melanoma skin cancer for further
development in IND enabling studies. LAD116 is based on etherna’s intratumoral mRNA/LNP
platform for therapies intended to generate a potent immune response directly within the tumor
microenvironment. The collaboration with Almirall on this potential new therapy will now focus
on manufacturing and producing GMP-grade material for IND enabling studies and intended
Phase I clinical trials.
Bernard Sagaert, CEO, etherna, added:
“This collaboration is a perfect example of what can be achieved when teams are fully aligned
and driven to succeed. The combined efforts of both companies to discover and advance an
mRNA-LNP based therapy to preclinical candidate nomination, on time and on budget, has been
outstanding. We are extremely happy to continue to support Almirall as they advance this
promising approach for non-melanoma skin cancer patients.”
Karl Ziegelbauer, Chief Scientific Officer, Almirall, commented:
“Almirall is committed to advancing innovation in medical dermatology to address significant
unmet medical needs. We are very excited to advance this innovative intratumoral approach to
potentially treat patients with non-melanoma skin cancer and we are delighted to see rapid
progress of our collaboration with etherna based on their mRNA and LNP capabilities.”
About etherna
etherna is a leading technology platform company pioneering the development of mRNA and
lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technologies, including manufacturing up to GMP. With over a decade of
expertise, the company provides pharma and biotech partners with an integrated suite of
proprietary platforms, including customizable lipid nanoparticles (cLNPs) and advanced mRNA
chemistry to enable the delivery of differentiated and efficacious RNA therapeutics. Founded in
2013 as a spin-off from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), etherna has evolved from a developer
of immunotherapies into a key strategic partner for the global life sciences industry, supporting
projects from early research over development to GMP manufacturing. The company is
headquartered in Niel, Belgium, with R&D facilities in Ghent and commercial operations in the
U.S. and Asia. www.etherna.bio
Media Contact:
media@etherna.be
• The multi-target research and development partnership will focus on severe skin diseases. Research into mRNA therapies for skin diseases will be a key component of this focus.
• The collaboration leverages etherna’s proprietary mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology with Almirall’s expertise in the dermatology space
• In addition to upfront and technology access payments, etherna is eligible to receive €300 million in development and commercial milestones as well as tiered royalties
BARCELONA, Spain and NIEL, Belgium. December 12th 2023 – Almirall, S.A. (ALM), a global pharmaceutical company focused on medical dermatology, and etherna, an mRNA/LNP technology platform company, announced today a multi-target alliance to discover and develop new mRNA-based therapies for severe skin diseases, including non-melanoma skin cancer.
The alliance combines and leverages etherna’s innovative proprietary mRNA capabilities and LNP formulations with Almirall’s leading expertise in medical dermatology to accelerate discovery of novel treatment options. Delivery of LNP-formulated mRNA for transient and local translation of therapeutic proteins offers a unique opportunity to encode for multiple therapeutically active components in a single treatment, underpinning the potential for mRNA therapies specifically designed for skin diseases.
Etherna and Almirall will work collaboratively on the research activities, while Almirall will lead clinical development and commercialization. Under the terms of the agreement, etherna will receive upfront and technology access payments. In addition, etherna is eligible to receive success-based development and commercial milestone payments that could exceed €300 million contingent upon launch and commercial success of multiple products, as well as tiered royalties based upon future global sales. Further financial details were not disclosed.
Dr. Karl Ziegelbauer, Chief Scientific Officer of Almirall, stated: “At Almirall, we always look for new solutions for patients suffering from skin diseases and we are thrilled about the strategic alliance with etherna to strengthen our pipeline with mRNA-based assets that can potentially lead to novel therapies for skin conditions.”
Bernard Sagaert, CEO of etherna, stated: “We are excited to partner with Almirall to advance mRNA therapeutics into medical dermatology. Almirall and etherna share the vision that intradermal application of LNP-formulated mRNA is a highly promising strategy to bring novel, efficacious new treatment options that will deliver huge benefits to patients through innovative mRNA therapies for skin diseases.”