Onzima's N4 Pharma adds new vaccine particle to nanoparticle vector offering

One of Onzima Ventures' investee companies has secured an improved deal with the University of Queensland for joint research into cancer drug delivery systems.

The Australia university's commercialisation company, UniQuest, has agreed to give N4 Pharma, of which Onzima owns 49%, exclusive global rights to commercialise their nanoparticle vaccine vectors for messenger RNA (mRNA) particles.

Use of mRNA-based nanoparticle vaccines for tumour immunotherapy has gained increasing attention in recent years, as mRNA delivered in nanoparticle form has been shown to be able generate a more robust immune response.

Under the agreement N4 will undertake further research alongside with Uniquest to develop an in-vitro data package that they hope will demonstrate the ability of these drug delivery systems "to achieve high protective loading of pDNA [plasmid DNA] and mRNA and demonstrate their strong transfection capability".

N4's Nuvac technology is a nano-carrier delivery system for antigens that it says improves both humoral and cell mediation effects for vaccines that, according to the company's website, can be used to reduce dose for traditional vaccines or improve pDNA cellular uptake and efficacy.

N4 chief executive Nigel Theobald, who's company Onzima backed on 1 March with an investment of £41,000 cash and 24.27m new shares, said mRNA was "an exciting area of therapeutic treatment in oncology and early encouraging results with our plasmid DNA research show strong pDNA loading onto the silica vesicle and excellent transfection being achieved".

Over the coming months he said N4 would continue laboratory work to demonstrate the capability of pDNA and mRNA vectors, and in the second half of 2016 would look for potential partners or to acquire particles that could be delivered using the vectors.

He added: "The recent investment by Onzima Ventures has allowed us to develop our intellectual property portfolio and create two extremely strong drug delivery/reformulation platforms, one for small molecules and another for vaccines and oncology treatments. Our aim now is to develop strong commercial propositions using our IP and seek partnerships and funds to take forward specific projects."