German independent research institute BioMed X has announced a new research project with Janssen Research & Development LLC, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, which aims to discover novel transport mechanisms in the human intestinal tract which could be utilized for oral delivery of diverse therapeutic modalities.
 
Biologics such as monoclonal antibodies have transformed the treatment of immune-related diseases, but need to be delivered by injection, which may have higher barriers to use compared to oral delivery. The collaboration was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation.
 
Christian Tidona, founder and managing director of the BioMed X Institute commented, “There are several techniques available to shield these macromolecules from the harsh conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, but little progress has been made to translocate complex macromolecules across the intestinal epithelial barrier into systemic circulation. This project has the potential to provide us with a novel delivery platform that enables the development of a new generation of oral immunotherapies.”
 
The current call for application targets early-career biomedical researchers with an outstanding track record or strong interest in the field of drug delivery. For this fully funded research project, the BioMed X Institute intends to hire one group leader, two postdoctoral researchers, and two research assistants.
 
As part of the online application procedure, interested candidates are requested to submit a competitive project proposal. After a first selection round, candidates will be invited to a five-day innovation boot camp in Heidelberg. If pandemic regulations do not allow onsite meetings, the boot camp will take place online.
 
Further details about this call for application can be found here. Interested candidates are invited to apply via the BioMed X crowdsourcing platform before March 21, 2021.