In concert with the growing demand for greater volumes of biotech nanoparticles, Particle Works has been launched as a new source for the automation of nanoparticle engineering and production. The company says that magnetic nanoparticles could be candidates for its process to encapsulate or template lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) but so far have not been tested in their Automated Nanoparticle System. Blacktrace Holdings Ltd, a UK firm which specializes in commercializing scientific developments, recently branded Particle Works as a spinout from its Dolomite Microfluidics business unit.
LNPs are a versatile formulation technology used by drug development teams to deliver a variety of molecules, peptides, and biologicals. Particle Works’ particle engineering platforms are set to revolutionize the way customers discover, develop and scale-up particle production for a wide range of applications, says the company. Previously, nanoparticles such as liposomes, LNPs and polymer-based nanoparticles have been produced using batch methods that can be inconsistent and difficult to control.
Particle Works, however, uses microfluidic technologies to create pioneering systems capable of consistent and tuneable particle generation, enabling the manufacturing process to be more stable and efficient, with a lower chance of particle damage, further reducing time of development cycles. The brand will initially focus on enhancing drug encapsulation and vaccine delivery.
“As leaders in the field of particle technology,” explains Lee Jeffries, managing director, “we understand the needs of our customers, and Particle Works is the direct result of the growing demand for reliable and scalable solutions for nanoparticle production.
The tremendous success of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to further explosive growth in development and created new opportunities in this area. The unprecedented speed of development of the COVID-19 LNP-based vaccines was, to a large extent, built upon foundational work performed over the last 10–15 years in LNP platform development, says the company. For more info, see www.particle-works.com.
