All NewsBio/Pharma News
All PublicationsPharmTechPharmTech Europe
MarketplaceICH Q9 Revision: A Comprehensive Resource on Quality Risk ManagementPeer-Reviewed ResearchPharmTech ProductsPharma InsightsSponsored PodcastsSponsored VideosSponsored eBooksWhitepapers
Webcasts
All VideosAsk the ExpertBehind The HeadlinesBuy, Sell, HoldDrug Digest VideosDrug Solutions PodcastPeer ExchangeSexy ScienceTech Talk
Conference CoverageConference ListingEvents
Subscribe
AnalyticsAnalyticsAnalytics
Data and Artificial Intelligence
Dosage FormsDosage FormsDosage FormsDosage FormsDosage Forms
Drug DevelopmentDrug DevelopmentDrug DevelopmentDrug DevelopmentDrug DevelopmentDrug Development
ManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturing
OutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcing
Quality SystemsQuality SystemsQuality SystemsQuality Systems
Spotlight -
  • Analytics
  • Dosage Forms
  • Drug Development
  • Manufacturing
  • Outsourcing
  • Quality Systems
IS1
  • Applied Clinical Trials

  • BioPharm International

  • Cannabis Science and Technology

  • Chromatography Online

  • Nutritional Outlook

  • Pharmaceutical Commerce

  • Pharmaceutical Executive

  • Pharm Tech

  • Spectroscopy Online

  • Turbo Machinery Magazine

AnalyticsAnalyticsAnalytics
Data and Artificial Intelligence
Dosage FormsDosage FormsDosage FormsDosage FormsDosage Forms
Drug DevelopmentDrug DevelopmentDrug DevelopmentDrug DevelopmentDrug DevelopmentDrug Development
ManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturingManufacturing
OutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcingOutsourcing
Quality SystemsQuality SystemsQuality SystemsQuality Systems
IS1
  • Applied Clinical Trials

  • BioPharm International

  • Cannabis Science and Technology

  • Chromatography Online

  • Nutritional Outlook

  • Pharmaceutical Commerce

  • Pharmaceutical Executive

  • Pharm Tech

  • Spectroscopy Online

  • Turbo Machinery Magazine

    • Webcasts
    • Subscribe
Advertisement

Talking mRNA–LNP Formulation Trends (Part Two)

December 16, 2024
By Feliza Mirasol
News
Video

In the second part of a video interview, Colin McKinlay, PhD, senior director, Chemistry and Delivery Technologies, at Nutcracker Therapeutics, discusses trends and the future direction of mRNA–LNP development.

One of the exciting things in messenger RNA (mRNA) development is the fact that not everyone involved in this field is necessarily going in the same direction, says Colin McKinlay, PhD, senior director, Chemistry and Delivery Technologies, Nutcracker Therapeutics, in part two of this video interview. “There [are many] different places that mRNA can be applied, and, in some cases, moving past the early stages of this field, one of the things that people are going to have to do is start specializing in different areas,” he says.

“Vaccines is obviously an area that mRNA has really demonstrated itself already, and so, I think making sure that the platform technology doesn't get pigeonholed into only being something that people think of as a vaccine technology is … important for the growth of the field, and moving beyond infectious disease vaccines, or even COVID[-19] vaccines,” McKinlay explains.

“In terms of the LNP [lipid nanoparticle] side of things, where I spend [much] of my time, I think there [are many] lipid nanoparticle technologies that will focus on expression in the liver and are directed towards the liver. One of the things that [many] folks in the field are really focusing on is, how do we actually direct these lipid nanoparticles to other organs in the body so that we can address other types of disease areas? Those are things where there hasn't been … [much] large-scale clinical successes,” McKinlay adds.

LNPs for RNA delivery, in terms of non-viral RNA delivery, have dominated the field in terms of clinical approvals, but McKinlay expresses concern about the industry possibly getting stuck in a kind of local maxima, “where the field does [much] optimization and [may] climb in efficacy, but then … reach a point where there's not too much that [one] can really optimize on anymore. [At Nutcracker Therapeutics], we're able to branch away from traditional LNP type particles, and have particles that are a little bit more unique to the chemistry of … peptoid molecules, and we think that that's pushing us over a little bit away from where the rest of the field is working, so that there's maybe a little bit more room to grow and a little bit more room to improve,” McKinlay states.

Click above for part two of this video interview. Click here for part one.

Click this link for the related story.

About the speaker

Colin McKinlay, PhD, Senior Director, Chemistry and Delivery Technologies, Nutcracker Therapeutics

Colin McKinlay is the senior director of Chemistry and Delivery Technologies at Nutcracker Therapeutics. He has over 10 years of expertise in nucleic acid delivery through his current position at Nutcracker Therapeutics and his doctoral research at Stanford University with Professors Paul Wender and Robert Waymouth. This research involved preparation of synthetic delivery vehicles through organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization, and their characterization and in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation for the delivery of DNA, RNA, and other biological macromolecules. He holds over five patents and nine peer-reviewed publications on chemical delivery technologies. McKinlay has led the delivery efforts at Nutcracker Therapeutics since 2018, including the establishment of its unique peptoid-based Nutshell delivery platform.

Recent Videos
Related Content

Coronavirus Covid-19 background - 3d rendering | Image Credit: © Production Perig - stock.adobe.com

EMA Recommends Update to COVID-19 Vaccines for 2025-26 Campaign

Patrick Lavery
May 19th 2025
Article

The LP.8.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus differs from the JN.1 family that previous vaccines had been designed to target, and has surpassed JN.1 as the variant circulating most widely worldwide.


Drug Solutions Podcast: Growth and Advancements in Fill/Finish

Drug Solutions Podcast: Growth and Advancements in Fill/Finish

Felicity Thomas
June 25th 2024
Podcast

In this episode, Hanns-Christian Mahler from ten23 Health chats about the advances in fill/finish.


Gold winners award with three stars | Image Credit: © sergign - stock.adobe.com

ISPE Announces Six 2025 FOYA Category Winners

Patrick Lavery
May 15th 2025
Article

Six winners and two honorable mentions were revealed at ISPE’s Europe Annual Conference in London.


Drug Solutions Podcast: A Closer Look at mRNA in Oncology and Vaccines

Drug Solutions Podcast: A Closer Look at mRNA in Oncology and Vaccines

Feliza Mirasol
April 30th 2024
Podcast

In this episode fo the Drug Solutions Podcast, etherna’s vice-president of Technology and Innovation, Stefaan De Koker, discusses the merits and challenges of using mRNA as the foundation for therapeutics in oncology as well as for vaccines.


Feb 2, 2020 South San Francisco / CA / USA - Genentech headquarters in Silicon Valley; Genentech, Inc., is an American biotechnology corporation which became a subsidiary of Roche in 2009 | Image Credit: © Sundry Photography - stock.adobe.com

Genentech and Roche Expand US Footprint with New North Carolina Manufacturing Facility

Patrick Lavery
May 13th 2025
Article

The proposed $700 million, 700,000-square-foot space will support the companies’ future joint portfolio of next-generation obesity medicines.


Text sign showing Industry News. Business photo text delivering news to the general public or a target public | Image Credit: © Artur - stock.adobe.com

Piramal Pharma to Invest $90 Million at Kentucky & Michigan Sites

Patrick Lavery
May 12th 2025
Article

The company said the investment is in response not only to customer demand and a belief in the value of US-based innovation, but also because of the trend toward US onshoring brought about by new tariff policies.

Related Content

Coronavirus Covid-19 background - 3d rendering | Image Credit: © Production Perig - stock.adobe.com

EMA Recommends Update to COVID-19 Vaccines for 2025-26 Campaign

Patrick Lavery
May 19th 2025
Article

The LP.8.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus differs from the JN.1 family that previous vaccines had been designed to target, and has surpassed JN.1 as the variant circulating most widely worldwide.


Drug Solutions Podcast: Growth and Advancements in Fill/Finish

Drug Solutions Podcast: Growth and Advancements in Fill/Finish

Felicity Thomas
June 25th 2024
Podcast

In this episode, Hanns-Christian Mahler from ten23 Health chats about the advances in fill/finish.


Gold winners award with three stars | Image Credit: © sergign - stock.adobe.com

ISPE Announces Six 2025 FOYA Category Winners

Patrick Lavery
May 15th 2025
Article

Six winners and two honorable mentions were revealed at ISPE’s Europe Annual Conference in London.


Drug Solutions Podcast: A Closer Look at mRNA in Oncology and Vaccines

Drug Solutions Podcast: A Closer Look at mRNA in Oncology and Vaccines

Feliza Mirasol
April 30th 2024
Podcast

In this episode fo the Drug Solutions Podcast, etherna’s vice-president of Technology and Innovation, Stefaan De Koker, discusses the merits and challenges of using mRNA as the foundation for therapeutics in oncology as well as for vaccines.


Feb 2, 2020 South San Francisco / CA / USA - Genentech headquarters in Silicon Valley; Genentech, Inc., is an American biotechnology corporation which became a subsidiary of Roche in 2009 | Image Credit: © Sundry Photography - stock.adobe.com

Genentech and Roche Expand US Footprint with New North Carolina Manufacturing Facility

Patrick Lavery
May 13th 2025
Article

The proposed $700 million, 700,000-square-foot space will support the companies’ future joint portfolio of next-generation obesity medicines.


Text sign showing Industry News. Business photo text delivering news to the general public or a target public | Image Credit: © Artur - stock.adobe.com

Piramal Pharma to Invest $90 Million at Kentucky & Michigan Sites

Patrick Lavery
May 12th 2025
Article

The company said the investment is in response not only to customer demand and a belief in the value of US-based innovation, but also because of the trend toward US onshoring brought about by new tariff policies.

About Us
Advertise
Contact Us
Editorial Info
Editorial Advisory Board
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
Contact Info

2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.