Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Following a successful Korea launch, MEPSGEN brings advanced microfluidic technology to U.S. researchers NanoCalibur™ offers precise, scalable, and reproducible nanoparticle production for drug development MEPSGEN's CEO to present new technology at the 4th LNP Formulation & Process Development Summit, on April 15, in Boston. BOSTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MEPSGEN US Inc., a global innovator in scalable nanoparticle production technology, announced today the launch of NanoCalibur™, a cutting-edge, scalable nanoparticle (NP) production system in the United States (US). Following its successful debut in Korea in Q4 2024, this platform is now available to U.S. researchers and drug developers who need reliable, simple, and scalable production of nanoparticles. NanoCalibur™ is based on an advanced microfluidic technology that can enable the controllable, precise, and reproducible synthesis of a wide range of nanoparticle types, including lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), liposomes, lipid-polymer NPs, lipid-protein NPs, and more. Using proprietary designs, technology, and know-how, NanoCalibur™ maximizes encapsulation of NP payloads while ensuring their structural integrity and biomolecular stability. Addressing the Growing Need for Scalable and Reproducible NP Synthesis NPs have become a critical delivery system for mRNA vaccines, non-viral gene therapy, oligonucleotide therapeutics, chemotherapy drugs, and many other therapeutic and diagnostic agents. However, researchers often face challenges in achieving precise, controllable, and reproducible nanoparticle synthesis, particularly when preserving sensitive payloads like nucleic acids. NanoCalibur™ addresses these limitations by leveraging a patented microvortex-based mixing platform and using a closed-loop feedback control system with multiple sensors to enable continuous throughput, high efficiency, low-shear NP production. NanoCalibur™ ensures consistent and uniform formulation properties and enhanced integrity of all cargo. The NanoCalibur™ has been shown to consistently and controllably synthesize particles with properties such as: Polydispersity index (PDI) of <0.1 Encapsulation efficiencies (EEs) of >95% (incl. for mRNA) Hydrodynamic stability over 4 weeks, with stable sizes, PDI, and EEs Intact mRNA stability. In addition, NanoCalibur™ is designed for seamless translation from discovery (Lab) to preclinical studies (GMP). With higher than 95% mixing efficiency, it can produce uniform nanoparticles with no batch-to-batch variation. Even at larger production scales, the system's controlled shear rates enable enhanced stability of mRNA and other sensitive biomolecule payloads. This makes it easier to achieve easy scale-up from lab discovery to GMP production without needing re-optimization and re-development of lab-scale synthesis protocols. YongTae Kim, CEO of MEPSGEN, said: "We are thrilled to bring NanoCalibur™, a stable, reliable and high-precision nanoparticle synthesis platform, to the U.S. market. With its cutting-edge microfluidics technology and user-friendly design, this micro-lab makes it easier for researchers to focus on their mission to develop the next generation of nanoparticle-based therapeutics." As part of MEPSGEN's continued expansion in the U.S. market, CEO YongTae Kim will be presenting at the 4th LNP Formulation & Process Development Summit in Boston (April 14-16, 2025), along with the opportunity to showcase NanoCalibur™ Presentation details: Date & time: April 15th, at 4:30 pm ET Session: Track C- Process Development & Manufacturing Session title: Accelerating LNP Production with Optimized Process & Advanced manufacturing Strategies Presentation title: Parallelization of microvortex mixers enables scalable manufacturing of mRNA-LNPs while preventing mRNAs from being truncated under controlled shear rates. About MEPSGEN MEPSGEN is a biotech company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with offices in Cambridge, MA, and San Jose, CA. The company was co-founded in 2019 by current CEO YongTae Kim and Professor Robert Langer from MIT, a world-renowned expert in drug delivery and biomaterials who has pioneered numerous breakthroughs in controlled-release systems. The company specializes in scalable NP synthesis systems, leveraging cutting-edge microfluidic technologies to support drug discovery, preclinical research, and GMP manufacturing. In addition to its NP platform, MEPSGEN also offers an organ-on-a-chip platform, expanding its innovative approach to drug development and personalized medicine. With a commitment to innovation and scientific excellence, MEPSGEN empowers researchers worldwide to advance nanoparticle-based therapeutics and precision medicine. For more information, please visit . SOURCE MEPSGEN WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Biogen has unveiled plans to open a new global headquarters and innovation hub in Massachusetts, US. The company has signed a 15-year lease for an office and research and development (R&D) space at Cambridge’s Kendall Common, a new development project spearheaded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Spanning approximately 580,000-square-feet, the facility will integrate Biogen’s R&D and technical operations teams together with its global and North American commercial organisations. It is expecting to relocate its Cambridge-based employees to the new site when it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2028. Biogen said it will be the sole corporate tenant in the building, which will also house its Biogen CoLab, a community laboratory and collaborative space where Biogen scientists, nonprofits and schools and universities join together to help individuals prepare for careers in life sciences and healthcare. The company said the move is part of a multi-year plan to modernise its facilities and consolidate its Massachusetts real estate footprint, dating back to the early 1980s when it established its research facility and headquarters in Kendall Square. Biogen’s chief executive officer, Christopher Viehbacher, said: “Nearly 50 years after first putting down roots in Kendall Square, Biogen is embarking on a new chapter in the very heart of the community that has shaped our success. “Our new space will support the advancement of our pipeline of breakthrough medicines by bringing our employees together and fostering collaboration with leading scientific minds, key partners and top talent.” The lease agreement is with a new joint venture partnership between MIT Investment Management Company and BioMed Realty, a Blackstone Real Estate portfolio company, that is developing the new building. “It’s fitting that Biogen – a company with such close ties to people at MIT – will make Kendall Common’s first building its new home,” said Sally Kornbluth, president of MIT. “The motto of Kendall Square might as well be ‘talent in proximity’ and Biogen’s decision to intensify its presence here promises great things for the whole ecosystem.”

Editor's note: This article has been updated with a quote from Layer Health's cofounder and CEO. Layer Health, an AI-enabled chart review company, announced it secured $21 million in Series A funding. Define Ventures led the round, with participation from GV (Google Ventures), Flare Capital Partners and MultiCare Capital Partners. WHAT IT DOES Layer Health's AI platform is built on machine learning algorithms that leverage large language models (LLMs) to streamline the chart review process from unstructured data. The company touts its AI as performing better than a human at complex chart abstraction and that all major registries are supported, including cardiovascular and oncology registries and national surgery. The technology can be integrated into existing products and aims to help with quality measurement, curation of real-world evidence, revenue cycle management, quality measurement and registry submissions without the need for labeled data. Layer will use the investment to scale its AI platform and expand its workforce. "Our Series A marks a major milestone in Layer Health's mission to bring AI-powered clinical understanding to the heart of healthcare operations. The complexity of managing clinical data across fragmented systems is one of the biggest barriers to scalable, high-quality care-especially in value-based environments," David Sontag, CEO and cofounder of Layer Health, told MobiHealthNews in an email. "This funding allows us to accelerate our work with health systems and life sciences organizations to solve that problem at scale. We're also fortunate to have a world-class group of investors behind us, whose deep expertise in healthcare and technology will be instrumental as we enter this next phase of growth." MARKET SNAPSHOT Layer Health, spun out of MIT, launched in 2023 with $4 million in funding from GV (Google Ventures), General Catalyst and Inception Health. Earlier this month, the company announced a multi-year collaboration with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to expedite cancer research. ACS will use Layer Health's LLM-powered data abstraction platform to pull clinical data from thousands of medical charts of patients enrolled in ACS research studies. Another company that uses natural language processing to analyze and summarize EHRs is DigitalOwl. DigitalOwl raised $20 million in Series A funding in 2022 and last year scored a $12 million investment from insurance giant Reinsurance Group of America (RGA). Last year, DigitalOwl collaborated with Quest Diagnostics company ExamOne with the aim of improving the efficiency of record retrieval and analysis through DigitalOwl's View product. ExamOne provides risk-assessment tools for the life insurance industry with a suite of services aimed at streamlining the underwriting process.