Collaboration drives innovation in biotherapeutics

In today’s rapidly evolving biotherapeutic landscape, innovation thrives through collaboration. As new diseases emerge and the demand for more targeted and personalized treatments intensifies, the need for interdisciplinary partnerships has never been greater.

Whether it is the development of novel therapies or the advancement of tools to analyze them, collaboration between researchers, technology providers, and pharmaceutical companies is essential to driving progress. These partnerships enable the sharing of knowledge and resources, creating opportunities for faster, more efficient breakthroughs that improve patient outcomes.

This spirit of collaboration is particularly evident in the nascent fields of gene therapy and mRNA research. The rise of mRNA-based vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of how collective efforts can rapidly propel a once-niche technology into a mainstream solution for multiple problems.

Now, researchers are building on this momentum, exploring new ways to apply mRNA and gene-editing technologies to areas such as cancer treatment and personalized medicine. These groundbreaking innovations highlight the power of collaboration in pushing the boundaries of what modern biotherapeutics can achieve.

In this article we speak with Michelle Chen, Senior Director of Analytical Sciences at Wyatt Technology and Matthew Lauber, Senior Director at Waters Corporation to discuss the importance of collaboration in the biotherapeutics field.

Collaboration as a driver of biotherapeutic innovation

Innovation within the biotherapeutics sector does not happen in isolation. Successful breakthroughs require the convergence of expertise from various fields, including chemistry, biology, engineering, and data science. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that the complexities of developing therapies — particularly biotherapeutic drugs — are addressed from multiple angles. For instance, technological innovations in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations, essential for delivering gene-editing tools such as CRISPR, have required close collaboration among instrument providers, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and regulatory agents.

One notable example of this collaborative spirit is the partnership between Waters and Wyatt Technology. In their joint efforts to develop and refine tools such as the DynaPro ZetaStar™, Eclipse™ field flow fractionation (FFF) combined with multiple angle light scattering (MALS) detection, and GTxResolve SEC columns, these companies demonstrate how partnerships can help overcome challenges in drug development. “The rapid integration the Wyatt team had with Waters in just a few short months highlights the strength of these collaborations,” says Chen. This spirit of cooperation is not just about sharing knowledge but about creating products and total solutions that can speed up the therapeutic pipeline, allowing biotherapeutics to reach patients more quickly.

One key area where collaboration plays a transformative role is in gene therapy and mRNA research. Both are seen as ‘white spaces’ for innovation, where new ideas and approaches can make an outsized impact. Partnerships between academia and industry are crucial in driving this forward, particularly when addressing the complex challenges associated with gene therapy and delivery technologies. "We are seeing great advancements, especially in the realm of AAVs, mRNAs, conjugates, and LNPs. They offer the flexibility to deliver a diverse range of antigens, which is crucial for providing cures to incurable diseases in the past and developing personalized treatments like cancer vaccines,” explains Chen.

The rise of gene therapy and mRNA research

Gene therapy and mRNA-based treatments have seen extraordinary progress in recent years, particularly in response to global health crises. While the idea of gene therapy has been around for decades, the ability to edit genes with precision and deliver therapies efficiently has only recently become viable due to innovations in LNP technology and improved analytical techniques to confirm the physical and chemical properties the corresponding drug substances. These developments would not have been possible without deep collaborations between academic researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and technology providers.

“LNPs offer the flexibility to deliver a diverse range of antigens,” Chen noted, referring to their utility in developing personalized cancer vaccines. By collaborating with pharmaceutical companies, researchers have been able to harness the potential of mRNA technologies and bring forward treatments that target cancer at the individual level. Personalized cancer vaccines are just one example of how combining expertise across sectors can lead to innovative treatments with far-reaching implications.

The success of mRNA vaccines, which use LNPs to deliver genetic instructions to cells, has fueled further exploration into how this technology can be applied beyond infectious diseases. "There has been some exciting early results on using mRNA delivered by an LNP for a personalized cancer vaccine," noted Lauber. The therapeutic landscape is shifting rapidly, with mRNA vaccines opening new doors for treating chronic conditions and complex diseases like cancer. By continuing to foster partnerships, researchers aim to expand the capabilities of this technology, leading to novel therapies that are more personalized and effective.

Technological innovations in biotherapeutics

Technological innovations are at the heart of advancements in biotherapeutics. In this field, collaboration between instrument providers and innovators is key to ensuring that new technologies meet the needs of scientists and clinicians alike. For example, the DynaPro ZetaStar™, a cutting-edge light scattering instrument developed by Wyatt Technology, integrates multiple-attribute measurements to provide researchers with faster, more accurate and consistent data.

Chen highlighted the strength of this collaboration, stating, “Our latest instrument, the ZetaStar, was evaluated by both teams and more use cases were probed from different perspectives.” Lauber added that the ZetaStar is playing an important role for his team’s new column development efforts. These kind of partnerships can help users adopt new technologies more easily and streamline the creation of new technologies.

The ZetaStar and other Waters/Wyatt instruments as well as the cutting-edge column technologies are critical in developing biotherapeutics, as they help scientists assess the quality and stability of complex therapies. By simplifying the data collection process and integrating multiple measurements into a single instrument, companies like Wyatt and Waters are reducing the time it takes for therapies to move from development to market. This, in turn, benefits patients by delivering effective treatments quickly and sometimes more economically.

Technological innovations, particularly in the field of analytics, play a significant role in reducing the risks associated with developing new therapies. By measuring critical attributes, such as molecular weight, aggregation, and payload, these innovations ensure that therapies are both safe and effective. “Our technology helps decrease the risk of a therapy, as well as speed to market,” says Lauber. For example, the GTxResolve SEC columns developed by Waters provide high-resolution sizing analyses data on large biological molecules, allowing researchers to detect impurities and thereby confirm and maintain product quality. This technological precision, combined with the collaborative efforts of research teams, enables more reliable and efficient therapeutic development.

Challenges and opportunities in gene therapy and mRNA research

While gene therapy and mRNA research represent exciting frontiers in biotherapeutics, they also come with unique challenges, particularly LNPs, which are commonly used to deliver mRNA and gene-editing components. “These lipid nanoparticles are becoming more complex, and for researchers, this translates into the requirement for additional analytical techniques,” Chen points out.

There is also a broader challenge within research laboratories. Many labs are experiencing increasing pressure to do more with fewer resources. The need for cost-efficient, high-throughput technologies is driving demand for instruments that can automate processes and increase uptime. In this context, collaboration between technology providers and research institutions is crucial to addressing these issues and driving innovation in the field. “Drug developers are experiencing more pressure to lower costs, which means doing more with less time and resources,” Lauber added.

The future of collaboration in biotherapeutics

As biotherapeutics continue to evolve, collaboration among scientists and engineers in biopharma, instrument companies, and regulatory bodies will remain a critical factor in advancing new treatments and therapies. The rise of mRNA vaccines during the pandemic showed how swiftly scientific breakthroughs could be achieved when researchers, technology providers, and pharmaceutical companies work together. This collaborative spirit is likely to expand in the coming years, particularly as more complex therapies, such as gene therapies and personalized cancer vaccines, move through the development pipeline.

Looking ahead, the role of technological innovation in this process cannot be overstated. Instruments like the DynaPro ZetaStar™ and GTxResolve SEC columns are simplifying the complex process of biotherapeutic development, enabling faster and more accurate measurements. “We are making lab operations simpler while still retaining the advanced results that are required,” says Chen. By lowering the barrier to entry, these advancements are helping researchers and clinicians develop therapies that have the potential to transform lives.

Ultimately, collaboration will remain a cornerstone of biotherapeutics, driving the development of cutting-edge treatments that safe, more effective, and more targeted. The future of healthcare lies in these partnerships, and the breakthroughs they enable will continue to shape the medical landscape for years to come.

Learn more about the partnership between Waters Corporation and Wyatt Technology.