Science
Aera has multiple proprietary delivery platforms that are being developed to broaden the application of genetic medicines.
Targeted Lipid Nanoparticles (tLNPs)
LNPs are one of today’s most widely used delivery systems for genetic medicines, being applied primarily for liver delivery and vaccine applications. Aera’s tLNP delivery platform, based on proprietary ionizable lipids, is specifically built to target additional cell types and tissues to enable additional therapeutic applications.
Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs)
AOCs combine the targeting capabilities of antibodies with the programmable functionality of oligonucleotides (short DNA or RNA strands). Key components of AOCs include an antibody or antibody fragment to target a specific cell or tissue type, an oligonucleotide that carries a genetic medicine, and conjugation chemistry to preserve both antibody function and oligonucleotide activity. Aera’s AOC platform is designed to expand the utility of antibodies beyond traditional immunology or oncology into other areas such as cardiac or skeletal muscle tissue.
Protein Nanoparticles (PNPs)
PNPs are a potentially disruptive platform to more generally address the delivery of genetic medicines. PNPs can be designed based on a range of proteins and can carry a range of cargos. This platform leverages the power of protein design and engineering with the modularity, scalability, and manufacturability of a fully synthetic, cell-free system. Aera’s PNPs have been designed to have a longer circulatory half-life when untargeted, providing the opportunity for modular targetability with the incorporation of specific cell and tissue targeting ligands.