Nanoworx: A New Step in Nanomedicine

News October 25, 2024

How can we better harness the potential of nanomedicine? The new initiative Nanoworx, a Contract Research Organisation (CRO), has been established to automate and accelerate the production of innovative nanomedicines. Thanks to a recent grant from PharmaNL in the Shared Development Infrastructure program line, Nanoworx can produce nanomedicine libraries and identify formulations with the best properties for clinical use through advanced screening techniques. This groundbreaking new company marks an important step in realizing the potential of nanomedicine. 

Willem Mulder (Professor of Precision Medicine at Radboudumc / Radboud University and the Eindhoven University of Technology), the driving force behind Nanoworx, emphasizes the importance of the PharmaNL grant: “Thanks to this grant, we can establish a sustainable infrastructure in five years. Our goal is for Nanoworx to operate completely independently after the PharmaNL subsidy ends.”

Nanoworx team
Team Nanoworx

Formidable Opportunities

Nanomedicine, which involves producing drugs on a nanoscale, offers enormous possibilities. However, progress is slow due to technical and financial limitations. Mulder highlights that Nanoworx addresses the need to break these barriers: “Nanomedicines have been developed since the 1980s, but significant breakthroughs are still lacking. This is because large nanoparticle libraries for large-scale screening are not available, as we do with small molecules. With the automation of production, we aim to solve that problem.”

Production takes place in collaboration with the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). “The support we have received from TU/e is exceptional. It allows us to operate within their laboratories and have access to nanomedicine expertise, giving us a unique position to further develop our innovations in nanomedicine.”

Broad Accessibility
Nanoworx aims to make the technology more widely accessible through a combination of advanced equipment and unique expertise. As a CRO, the company targets biotech firms, research groups, and academic consortia, offering support at every step of the process—from development and screening to optimization and scaling up innovative nanomedicines. “This particularly offers smaller companies the chance to utilize automated manufacturing, technology typically available to major players like Moderna,” says Mulder. “Nanoworx fills that void.”

Strategic Collaboration

Nanoworx is the result of a strategic collaboration between TU/e, Pivot Park Screening Center, and Trained Therapeutix Discovery. These partners play a crucial role in refining Nanoworx’ processes. “With our expertise in drug discovery, advanced screening methods, and laboratory automation, we can collaborate with Nanoworx to accelerate the development of innovative nanomedicines. Our advanced technologies and access to an extensive connection library enable the discovery and optimization of new therapeutic options,” says Brigitte Drees, CEO of Pivot Park Screening Centre.

A Multidisciplinary Team

Nanoworx’s principal strength is the multidisciplinary team that Mulder has assembled. The team consists of experts in nanotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, and bioengineering. This combination of scientific knowledge and technical know-how enables Nanoworx to tackle complex challenges in the development of nanomedicines. “Our team is our strength,” says Mulder. “We have individuals with in-depth knowledge of nanomaterials and years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.”

Future Ambitions and International Expansion

Nanoworx’s ambitions extend beyond the Netherlands. “Initially, we focus on the Netherlands, but our goal is to ultimately expand internationally, particularly to Europe and North America,” Mulder explains. Nanoworx has the ambition and potential to grow into a fully-fledged Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO), supporting companies from early development phases to clinical trials.