Evonik, Ethris Collaborate to Advance Next-Gen Nucleic Acid Delivery Offerings
The companies have joined forces to launch an advanced lipid nanoparticle platform for RNA medicine delivery to advance the next generation of gene and vaccine therapies.
Global specialty chemicals company, Evonik, and clinical-stage biotech, Ethris, have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop and commercialize a next-generation lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform for nucleic acid medicines. The collaboration will broaden Evonik’s formulation development services offering through the addition of Ethris’ proprietary lipidoid nanoparticle (SNaP LNP) technology, which has been designed to improve the stability and mechanical strength of RNA formulations (1).
By integrating Ethris’ platform into its service portfolio, Evonik will be able to offer this advanced delivery technology to customers developing RNA medicines. Drawing on its expertise in lipid process development, formulation design, and good manufacturing practice (GMP)-certified manufacturing, Evonik can provide solutions that improve thermostability and ensure the therapeutic payload remains precisely at the intended target, ultimately increasing the reliability and effectiveness of nucleic acid-based therapies.
“Our partnership with Ethris strengthens our portfolio and tackles key challenges in nucleic acid delivery. Ethris’ SNaP LNP technology improves thermostability — enabling storage at higher temperatures — and enhances local retention, facilitating targeted delivery to the site of action and prolonged presence where therapeutic effect is needed. We’re excited to offer this transformative solution to our customers,” said JP Milde, Global Product Line Head Parenteral Drug Delivery Solutions at Evonik, in a company press release (1).
Evonik is hopeful that the deal will increase its appeal to pharmaceutical and biotech clients that are increasingly searching for end-to-end partners to manage both the manufacturing and scale-up, while offering innovative technological platforms that can solve underlying scientific and logistical barriers.
Ethris, in turn, gains access to Evonik’s global manufacturing capacity, world-class GMP facilities, and established distribution networks to enable the company to scale its proprietary platforms, with the partnership also opening commercial pathways to accelerate development and broaden the reach of its pipeline of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapies and vaccines. Additionally, Evonik’s extensive experience in supporting pharmaceutical clients throughout all stages — from early development to late-stage commercialization — will help Ethris enhance operational efficiency and attract a wider base of pharma partners worldwide.
“By combining our innovative nucleic acid delivery platforms with Evonik, one of the world’s leading CDMOs for LNP formulations, we are creating a powerful offering for pharma partners,” commented Dr. Carsten Rudolph, Chief Executive Officer at Ethris, in the press release (1). “This collaboration addresses the increasing demand for scalable, high-quality nucleic acid technologies and enables us to serve a broader set of partners worldwide. We will also benefit from Evonik’s expertise as we continue advancing our in-house mRNA therapeutics and vaccine pipeline (1).”
LNPs have played a pivotal role in enabling RNA vaccines and medicines — most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic — yet the technology has been hindered by limitations such as a need for ultra-cold storage and their tendency to accumulate in certain organs. Ethris’ lipidoid nanoparticle platform aims to overcome these shortcomings through its enhanced thermostability, improved mechanical strength, and the ability to enable novel delivery formats like inhalation therapies for respiratory illnesses where direct, localized lung delivery is essential.
According to Ethris, the use of its proprietary Stabilized Non-Immunogenic mRNA (SNIM RNA) technology alongside the lipidoid nanoparticle formulation system allows RNA to be delivered into cells more precisely and more safely. For respiratory diseases, the technology has already shown potential in clinical trials by achieving efficient nebulized delivery while preventing systemic spread of the mRNA and minimizing off-target effects.
For Evonik, the deal builds on a broader diversification strategy in healthcare. The company has been investing heavily in its “Advanced Precision Biosolutions” innovation growth field, where it sees nucleic acid medicines as a critical area for long-term growth. Already supplying pharmaceutical companies with lipids and parenteral drug delivery solutions, Ethris’ novel technology will help to offer an integrated suite of services spanning discovery through commercialization.
Based in Munich and founded in 2011, Ethris has spent over a decade pioneering new RNA platforms with an emphasis on respiratory medicine. Its lead candidate, an mRNA therapy for asthma, is already in Phase IIa development, offering clinical validation of its proprietary platforms whilst beyond respiratory disease, the company is working on programs in immunomodulation, protein replacement, and vaccine development.
The partnership reflects the broader momentum seen across the nucleic acid therapeutics market. RNA technologies, once considered experimental, are now firmly established in modern medicine following the success of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Reports predict the LNP market alone could reach USD 2.3 billion by 2032 (2), due to investment in genetic therapies, vaccines for infectious and chronic conditions, and novel delivery routes like inhalation. The need for scalable, stable, and precise delivery mechanisms is increasingly urgent as more RNA-based therapies enter clinical trials across diverse therapeutic areas.
References
Ethris. Ethris and Evonik Enter Strategic Partnership to Expand Offerings for Nucleic Acid Delivery.Press Release, Sep. 09, 2025.
Astute Analytica. Global Lipid Nanoparticles Market: By Type; Application; End Users; Region — Market Size, Industry Dynamics, Opportunity Analysis and Forecast for 2024–2032. Market Research Report, Jan. 19, 2024.