Germany-based BioNTech and SiO2 Medical Products (SMP) are set to commence a common testing of the latter’s primary packaging container to preserve BioNTech´s mRNA vials for cancer-immunotherapy drugs.
Image: BioNTech´s vials. Photo: courtesy of BioNTech AG.
The evaluation process for the SiO2’s next generation technology will involve fill-/finish-machine manufacturers.
Upon successful completion of process evaluations, the partners intend to explore and develop superior packaging as well as application devices manufactured by SMP for a range of BioNTech products.
BioNTech expects the SMP’s technology, upon first successful use for mRNA, to be strategically extended to its other multiple products.
SMP founder, CEO and chairman Robert Abrams said: “We look forward to working with an innovative organization like BioNTech, known for their excellence in biological scientific innovations.
“We believe this collaboration will build an opportunity to jointly improve existing quality and safety standards of the industry through an intelligent platform strategy using our barrier and surface technologies.”
The SiO2’s new and patented coating system is designed to provide the durability and dimensional consistency of plastics with the oxygen barrier properties, ultra-low extractables, and pH stability of silica glass.
BioNTech CFO and COO Dr Sierk Poetting said: “Our common objective is to establish superior primary packaging for a range of mRNA compounds and potentially other innovative products of BioNTech. The high quality packaging is based on drug container surfaces, which are tailored to the requirements of our novel drug products.
“We’re excited about our interaction with SMP and the opportunity to explore new and superior packaging solutions for our unique biologics.”
Privately-owned company, SiO2 Medical Products is engaged in developing and manufacturing precision-molded containers composed of engineered polymers, such as cyclic olefin polymer (COP).
The containers also incorporate a thin, transparent, silicon-based coating system composed of organosiloxane and silica nano-layers.
Earlier this year, BioNTech completed a $270m Series A round of financing. The company earlier completed a seed round fundraising in 2008 concurrent with its founding.
The company said it will use the capital to further advance its clinical pipeline of individualized immunotherapies covering a number of new approaches including mRNA and CAR-T / T-Cell receptors for the treatment of cancer and other diseases with high medical need.