NanoDrug Delivery GmbH (NDD) impressed the judges of the Lower Saxony Innovation Competition with the economic potential of its hybrid nanoparticle technology in cancer therapy. The life science spin-off, which was initiated by Prof. Dr. Claus Feldmann from the KIT together with Prof. Dr. Frauke Alves (Unimedizin Göttingen), won the renowned Lower Saxony Innovation Award 2024 in the category “Knowledge and Technology Transfer” on November 4, 2024. The innovation prize is awarded annually by the innovation network Niedersachsen.next. The founding team hopes that the prize money of 20,000 euros will provide further momentum. The spin-off is the result of many years of successful interdisciplinary collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences (MPI-NAT), the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and the KIT.

Revolutionary approach to cancer therapy

As a spin-off of three research institutions, NDD focuses primarily on the development and evaluation of cytotoxic nanoparticle systems. These nanoparticles are about 2,000 times smaller than a human hair and consist of up to 80 percent active ingredient. The underlying hybrid nanoparticle technology was jointly developed, patented and licensed to NDD. As early as 2008, the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (AOC) at the KIT, under the direction of Prof. Feldmann, began basic research into the chemical synthesis of hybrid nanoparticles. For the first time, active ingredient anions were converted into salt-like hybrid nanoparticles with inorganic cations by simple precipitation in water. “Electrostatic attraction ensures that the active ingredients are firmly bound into the structure of the nanoparticles in a high volume concentration. The hybrid nanoparticles can thus transport many times more active ingredient per particle than conventional drug delivery systems.” The technology was further developed from around 2012 with the partners MPI-NAT and UMG, and the nanoparticles were examined in terms of effectiveness and application in medicine. During the entire development process, Prof. Feldmann and his team were closely supported by the Innovation and Relations Management team at KIT in matters relating to securing intellectual property, the exploitation strategy, the acquisition of funding, and licensing. “I am grateful that such extensive support options are available. This makes it easier to recognize and exploit not only the research but also the entrepreneurial potential,” says Feldmann.