Evonik partners with ST Pharm to increase its offerings for RNA and nucleic acid delivery
- Increases speed to market for drug developers working on nucleic acid therapeutics
- Reduces complexity for customers
- Strengthens portfolio of system solutions
Evonik is partnering with ST Pharm, a company that manufactures active ingredients for gene therapy, to expand its RNA and nucleic acid therapeutic services. Through the partnership, Evonik can provide customized nucleic acids from ST Pharm alongside its portfolio of lipid and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) drug product development services. This streamlined approach means that pharmaceutical companies can reduce complexity and increase speed-to-market for nucleic acid therapeutics.
As part of the company’s Nutrition & Care division, Evonik’s Health Care business is making significant investments and partnering with leaders in life sciences and industry to grow its portfolio of system solutions for nucleic acid medicines. System solutions are tailored offerings that integrate products, technologies and services, enabling Evonik to support customers from ideation to the finished product.
“Speed is critical in drug development, and this partnership helps to streamline the process and offer system solutions. We look forward to supporting our customers in developing the nucleic-acid therapeutics of the future,” said Yann d'Hervé, Head of the Health Care business line.
ST Pharm is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) based in South Korea, with operations worldwide. It is a global top-tier provider of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) including siRNAs, mRNA-LNPs and small molecule manufacturing. The company has also broadened its expertise in oligonucleotides and enzymatic biotransformation including comprehensive mRNA CDMO services.
A notable highlight of ST Pharm’s portfolio is its proprietary 5'-capping technology, SmartCap®. This technology features 30 capping analogs and capping library screening services to optimize mRNA development. Drug development companies using mRNA technology can easily access this technology, and SmartCap® has already demonstrated its feasibility in human clinical trials.
“Partnering with Evonik, which has Drug Product manufacturing facilities in North America, allows us to expand into the global mRNA market while strengthening existing customer relationships,” said Kris S. Choi, Head of Marketing & BD at ST Pharm. “Our mRNA development expertise, including SmartCap® technology, aligns seamlessly with Evonik’s LNP and Fill & Finish capabilities.”
Evonik supplies pharmaceutical companies globally with lipids and services for the development and GMP-manufacturing of LNPs and liposomes for gene delivery. Lipids, essential building blocks of cells, enable the effective encapsulation and delivery of mRNA and other nucleic acid drugs. Nucleic acid therapeutics are rapidly growing within the parenteral drugs market. The LNP market alone is estimated to be over US$600 million (up to US$1billion) with continued growth projected over the next decade.
Evonik has been a leader in advanced drug delivery for decades, supporting pharmaceutical companies worldwide with comprehensive services for the development and manufacture of complex parenteral and oral drug products. This includes pharmaceutical excipients such as polymers and lipids, formulation development, and the manufacturing of clinical samples, as well as commercial drug products.
Further Information
Company information
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €15.3 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.66 billion in 2023. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable, and sustainable solutions for customers. About 32,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow.
About Nutrition & Care
The focus of the business of the Nutrition & Care division is on health and quality of life. It develops differentiated solutions for active pharmaceutical ingredients, medical devices, nutrition for humans and animals, personal care, cosmetics, and household cleaning. In these resilient end markets, the division generated sales of €3.61 billion in 2023 with more than 5,600 employees.
Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.
