Targeted LNPs: From Ligand Conjugation & Preclinical Screening to Process Optimization and Scale-Up
Webinar
Targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs) — engineered through covalent conjugation of ligands such as full-length antibodies, antibody fragments, VHH nanobodies or peptides — represent a next-generation strategy for cell-specific nucleic acid delivery beyond the liver. tLNP development demands expertise across conjugation chemistry, specialized analytics, and scalable manufacturing. Get insights into an integrated development workflow: from early-stage conjugation screening and lead identification, through dedicated analytical characterization and downstream purification, to process optimization and manufacturing scale-up. Explore how these findings can accelerate your own development journey.
In this webinar, you will:
- understand the key bioconjugation strategies used to attach ligands to LNP surfaces
- learn how a dedicated analytical panel enables rigorous quality assessment of functionalized LNPs
- explore the specialized purification approaches required to remove unconjugated ligand, preserve LNP integrity, and achieve a well-defined, homogeneous targeted LNP population suitable for in vivo studies
- gain insight into the unique technical challenges of upscaling targeted LNPs, and how these were successfully addressed in customer projects
Speakers
Johanna Simon, PhD
Merck
Head of Formulation Discovery & Analytical Characterization
Johanna Simon, PhD, is heading the Formulation Discovery and Analytical Characterization team within the Early Formulation Screening Service at our company. Her work focuses on the preclinical formulation development of custom LNPs for nucleic acid modalities. After receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry, Johanna has continued her scientific career as a postdoctoral researcher with a focus on developing lipid-, polymer- and antibody-functionalized nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery in vivo. She has authored 50+ peer-reviewed articles in leading journals in the field of drug delivery sciences.
Samaresh Sau
Merck
Principal Scientist
Samaresh is a Process Development Scientist with a PhD and four years of experience in LNP at our Indianapolis LNP Center of Excellence. Prior to this, he had eight years of academic experience in Nanomedicine Research. His key responsibilities include LNP/tLNP Process Development, Scale-up, and onsite Technology Transfer for Clinical Manufacturing. Samaresh has expertise in Process Optimization and GMP-transferable Scale-Up (25X) for various tLNPs, containing larger mAbs to smaller VHHs, utilizing Antibody-Lipid Insertion, Thiol-Maleimide, and Click Conjugation Methods.
Pharma and biopharma manufacturing
- Gene Therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing
Duration:1h
Language:English
Session 1:presented June 9, 2026