Johnson & Johnson is tightening its ties to Midatech, adding a second experimental large molecule to a collaboration that is using technology from inkjet printers to create long-acting injectable medicines.
Midatech entered into a feasibility agreement with J&J’s Janssen in 2020 and initially worked quietly on the project before going on to reveal the identity of its partner and detail the progress made to date the following year. In January, J&J extended the collaboration.
Now, J&J has added another large molecule to the collaboration. Publicly available details of the project remain limited, but the broad outline of why J&J wants to work with Midatech is visible. Midatech used its long-acting Q-Sphera technology to encapsulate a proprietary Janssen experimental large-molecule medicine, while preserving its functional integrity, last year.
The progress persuaded J&J to add another large molecule to the collaboration. Again, neither party has shared details of the drug candidate beyond the fact it is an experimental large molecule in development at Janssen.
As it is doing on the original program, codenamed MTX213, Midatech will work to maximize drug loading and optimize in vitro duration of release for the second molecule. Through the work, Midatech could extend the release of the medicine, resulting in a longer-acting injectable that is less burdensome to use than products that must be given more frequently.
Midatech’s Q-Sphera is based on the piezoelectric technology found in inkjet printers. In the context of drug production, the technology enables Midatech to encapsulate large molecules in its polymer-based bioresorbable microspheres. Upon injection, the microspheres form depots that gradually release the therapeutic for weeks or months.