LION™: A Modular Nanocarrier for Multiple Biological Payloads

A. Khandhar, J. Erasmus, B. Berube, T. Kimura, M. Duthie, N. Warner, D. Hawman, P. Berglund, J. Reed, S. Reed
HDT bio, Washington, United States

Keywords: LION™ Nanoparticle, Replicon, Adjuvants, Gene-encoded therapeutics, Safety

HDT bio's proprietary LION™ platform provides "plug-and-play" capability to enable delivery of multiple payload types. First-generation LION is a clinical stage asset that is powering HDT's AMPLIFY™ and ACTIVATE™ technology pipelines. AMPLIFY™ leverages replicon RNA technology to deliver gene-encoded biological countermeasures with demonstrated preventive and therapeutic efficacy against a range of infectious diseases and toxins. The ACTIVATE™ pipeline comprises a toolbox of host-directed therapeutics that leverage the power of the innate immune system to provide pathogen-agnostic (broad spectrum) protection or enable immune reprogramming to either break tolerance against refractory tumors or induce tolerance in allergy and autoimmune disorders. First-gen LION™ enables rapid payload delivery to resident cells - in a matter of seconds - a key mechanism that underpins its enhanced safety profile for vaccine applications compared to LNPs. We have also developed a library family of over 300 derivatives of LION™ that unlock alternate routes of administration, from mucosal (intranasal and sublingual) to intravenous delivery, with precision targeting to select tissues (e.g. lungs and spleen). Lastly, HDT's LION-enabled products are supported by a partnering network providing AI/ML antigen and antibody discovery and end-to-end continuous manufacturing solutions.