Crossing the Border

The BioMed X Institute located at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and Janssen Research and Development are commencing a new research project on novel transport mechanisms in the intestinal tract, which could result in the oral delivery of diverse therapeutic modalities – including biologics.

In a statement, Christian Tidona, Founder and Managing Director of the BioMed X Institute, said, “There are several techniques available to shield these macromolecules from the harsh conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, but little progress has been made to translocate complex macromolecules across the intestinal epithelial barrier into systemic circulation. This project has the potential to provide us with a novel delivery platform that enables the development of a new generation of oral immunotherapies.”

BioMed X has worked with Janssen on numerous other projects in the past and has an ongoing collaboration in immunology examining protective tissue factors in autoimmune diseases.