NEWS

CLINICAL PHASE I STUDY WITH POLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES STARTED

SmartDyeLivery’s Nanocarrier SDL-M1 was administered to humans for the first time. In the Phase I study, the safety and tolerability of the intravenously administered nanocarriers are being tested in healthy volunteers. SDL-M1 is the first application from SmartDyeLivery's technology platform and is designed to deliver an active substance specifically into the metabolic cells of the liver.

Read the official press release here

MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

In order to align the positioning of our ‘first-in-class’ medication for septic cholestasis with the exact clinical target groups and needs, a Medical Advisory Board set up by SmartDyeLivery met for the first time in January. The expert panel, consisting of five doctors with specialised knowledge of various liver diseases, discussed with us in a workshop format the various issues relating to future development goals, preparatory aspects for Phase II and other potential areas of application. After a very intensive and helpful exchange, we are pleased about the great added value of this first board meeting and are sure that more will follow.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LONG NIGHT OF SCIENCE

A night full of amazement and experiments is over and attracted numerous visitors to the Long Night of Science. We are delighted with the many young and old revellers who tried their hand at dropping our colourful particles and admired the display case for fluorescent dyes.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE LONG NIGHT OF SCIENCE

Today is the day. We are looking forward to welcoming every visitor to our stand at the Centre for Applied Research (Philosophenweg 7 in Jena) from 6 pm!

SMARTDYELIVERY AS A NEW MEMBER OF JENAVERSUM

Following a unanimous vote by the Executive Board, SmartDyeLivery is now the newest member of the regional network of the science and business location Jena. JenaVersum promotes the long-standing and successful tradition of cooperation between the institutions in the region through new formats and joint initiatives. The players from science collaborate with partners from business and the town in order to take the long-standing co-operation at the location to a new level. We are delighted to be one of 29 members in this exciting environment.

LONG NIGHT OF SCIENCE IN JENA

On 22 November 2024, SmartDyeLivery will present itself to a wide audience as part of the Long Night of Science from 6 pm to midnight. Young and old alike will be able to try out, explore and discover science at many stands spread across the city. Together with the InfectoGnostics research campus, SmartDyeLivery will have a stand at Philosophenweg 7 (Centre for Applied Research) and invites visitors to experiment and find out more. As a translational application example, the RUBIN-funded ATHANA project with 8 involved partners from Thuringia with the participation of Jena University Hospital and the Centre for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC) will also be presented. The University Hospital will be providing more detailed information and other hands-on activities at its main event venue Am Klinikum 1.

FOURTH ALLIANCE COMMITTEE OF THE ATHANA CONSORTIUM

The 4th alliance committee of the eight partners of the Thuringian RUBIN alliance ‘ATHANA’ met on 17 October. In addition to discussing the progress of the project, the focus was on milestone planning and future public relations work.

Almost halfway through the project, the partners can look back on an intensive and successful collaboration and are looking forward to the second half of the funding period.

www.athana.net

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE CPHI IN MILAN

The renowned pharmaceutical trade fair is taking place in Milan from 8 to 10 October with two SmartDyeLivery representatives. For 35 years, CPHI Milan has been the most important platform for pharmaceutical innovation and global networking. We are delighted to be visiting this global hotspot with over 2,400 exhibitors from around the world.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BACHELOR THESIS

We congratulate our bachelor student Pierre-Pascal Keup on the successful defense of his bachelor thesis at the Hochschule Mittweida. He passed with the best possible grade for his work on the Formulation of Nanoparticles for the Development of a Size Prediction Model.
Congratulations to him!

MP THORSTEN FREI AS A GUEST AT SMARTDYELIVERY

On August 27, the First Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group Thorsten Frei visited SmartDyeLivery GmbH. Together with CEO Dr. Marc Lehmann and co-founder Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schubert, who is running for the Thuringian state parliament in the upcoming election, SmartDyeLivery introduced itself to MP Thorsten Frei and presented the latest results and innovative ideas from its development work.

FIRST ATHANA STRATEGY WORKSHOP

After one year since the start of the project, the first strategy workshop of the ATHANA consortium took place this week at the Hans Knöll Institute in Jena. In the presence of the project sponsor Jülich, the eight alliance partners presented the status of their research and development work and discussed the further course of the planned work steps. According to the milestone planning, the project is currently right on schedule and motivates us for the further collaboration with Dyomics, Dynamic42 GmbH, BioControl Jena GmbH, Jena Bioscience GmbH, Universitätsklinikum Jena, HAPILA GmbH and the Thüringer ClusterManagement.

For more information visit www.athana.net

RUBIN ALLIANCE MEETING IN MAGDEBURG

With a total of 25 funded alliances, including five from Thuringia, the RUBIN committee met in Magdeburg in June. SmartDyeLivery introduced one of its key topics, the ATHANA project, to a large audience and illustrated findings from its collaboration with eight partners from industry and academia in various workshops and a presentation in Pecha Kucha style. The "RUBIN" funding program of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research improves strategic cooperation between companies and with universities and research institutions. The aim is to support regional entrepreneurial alliances in the development of innovations with high application potential. As part of the ATHANA project, SmartDyeLivery is developing a nanoparticle-based platform technology that enables innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of fungal infections in the lungs.

SMARTDYELIVERY AS A GUEST AT THE INVESTOR DAYS THURINGIA       

After two days, 36 pitches and countless interesting conversations with founders, investors and stakeholders, we can take stock: the Investor Days 2024 have blown our minds and make us proud to be part of Thuringia's innovative community. A big compliment goes to the initiators of STIFT and bm-t - both the choice of locations (Central Club and egaPark Erfurt) and the entire programme speak of incredibly good teamwork and organizational talent. We are already looking forward to next June!

START-UP CENTER WITH SPACE FOR EXPANSION

A new start-up center called "lab2fab" is being built on the Landgrafen Campus of Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The 4,680 square meter building will help young high-tech companies prepare for market entry and give existing companies the opportunity to expand their infrastructure. The city of Jena is investing 21 million euros in the center to also strengthen the link between university research and industrial companies. The start-up center will work closely with research institutions such as the Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry (CEEC) and drive forward innovation in the field of polymer science.

SmartDyeLivery is delighted about the prospect of being able to expand its laboratory capacities and make internal GMP processes possible with the new premises. CEO Dr Marc Lehmann attended the opening of the center and gained first impressions of the site.

Read more here.

SMARTDYELIVERY CHEERING ALONG THE CYCLE PATH

We‘re keeping our fingers crossed for our Bachelor student Pierre-Pascal Keup and wish him best of luck and ideal asphalt at the FISU World Cycling Championships in Costa Rica!

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE STIFT FUTURE CONFERENCE

Space for innovation and exchange. The STIFT Future Conference on 23 May 2024 brought together leading minds from education, science, business, politics and civil society to create new ideas and rethink the future. With a focus on inspiration, discussion and celebrations to mark its 30th anniversary, the conference provided impetus for innovation in Thuringia and beyond. SmartDyeLivery was part of the exciting event, which addressed the pressing issues of our time and focused on a shared future.

MEMBERSHIP OF BIO DEUTSCHLAND

SmartDyeLivery is now a new member of BIO Deutschland. BIO Deutschland is the association of the biotechnology industry and, with 380 member companies, the voice of innovative SMEs in this sector.

The association is not only active in the fields of medicine and health, but also in the areas of sustainable industries, food and agriculture. Germany and Europe need biotechnology in order to achieve sustainability goals. This is why BIO Deutschland enables research to be carried out in all areas of application of biotechnological processes and the results to be used for a sustainable future of tomorrow.

https://www.biodeutschland.org/en/

SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER

As in previous years, SmartDyeLivery GmbH and its investors are supporting the Cultural and Social Foundation and its International Young Orchestra Academy. As part of the Festival Brass, each concert calls for donations for children with cancer and serious illnesses in the respective regions in order to help the weakest members of society. SmartDyeLivery is committed to the foundation's intention of using the universal language of music to overcome borders and bring people from different nations together.

The next concert will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 8 pm in Jena's Volkshaus. The returns will also be donated to children with cancer in Jena.

SECOND ALLIANCE COMMITTEE OF THE ATHANA CONSORTIUM

The second quarterly meeting of the eight partners of the Thuringian alliance "ATHANA" took place on April 11. The RUBIN alliance develops innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of infectious diseases, in particular fungal infections, and is coordinated by SmartDyeLivery. The other regional alliance partners are Jena Bioscience, BioControl Jena, Dynamic42, Hapila, Dyomics, Leibniz-HKI and the Jena University Hospital, jointly supported by the Thuringian ClusterManagement of LEG. Together, they aim to save human lives with innovative therapies and to develop the region into the European heart of anti-infective nanotechnologies.

Last Thursday, all partners came together to discuss the joint progress of the project and future milestones in project planning. We are pleased about the positive interim results and the promising research results of the individual partners.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE TRIP-WORKSHOP OF THE STIFT

The Thuringian Regional Innovation Program, TRIP, is an initiative of the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT) and helps start-ups to successfully enter the business world. In the final round of the program, both investors and founders were invited to report on their experiences. As a long-standing STIFT investment partner, SmartDyeLivery GmbH was of course also on site and depicted its own career as a start-up and the various steps towards investment to the audience.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE NANOMEDICINE MINISYMPOSIUM

As part of a mini-symposium at the Jena School of Molecular Medicine (JSMM), Dr. Christoph Englert, representing SmartDyeLivery GmbH, was able to give the audience exciting insights into the world of translational nanomedicine.

Together with numerous interdisciplinary experts from a wide range of research fields, topics such as cancer therapy, infectious diseases and sepsis research in the field of nanomedicine were exchanged and discussed.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE APPLICANT DAY AT CARL-ZEISS-GYMNASIUM, JENA

On 9 February, the Bildungswerk der Thüringer Wirtschaft organised an "Applicant Day" at the mathematical, scientific and technical grammar school.

Interested pupils had one-on-one interviews with the companies taking part in this event in order to practise the special situation of a job interview.

SmartDyeLivery was happy to participate in this great way of promoting young talent and presented itself to the pupils.

SMARTDYELIVERY INSPIRES YOUNG AND OLD AT THE SCIENCE EVENING AT JENA TALSCHULE

Surrounded by teddy bear surgery, a robot dog and laser shows, pupils and families from the Talschule in Jena were able to experiment with particle production at the SmartDyeLivery stall. Equipped with laboratory utensils, magnetic stirrers and alginate powder, interested children and adults tried their hand at being chemists and were able to take the results of their experiments home with them. With almost 1,000 visitors and 35 booths, the event was a great success and brought scientific phenomena closer to potential young researchers.

LIVE AND IN COLOUR AT INNOCON

After SmartDyeLivery's last participation at InnoCON was only possible digitally, it was now even nicer to visit Thuringia's leading innovation policy event on site again. Under the slogan "More technological independence" the event dealt with the opportunities and possibilities that the new EU funding period 2021-2027 offers for Thuringian companies and researchers. SmartDyeLivery participated at InnoMARKT and informed visitors about its new BMBF-funded project "ATHANA - Antifungal therapy approaches with nanoparticle-based targeting of drugs" in a presentation.

SMARTDYELIVERY RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR PHASE I CLINICAL TESTING

We've got reason to celebrate: After the examination of our clinical trial application, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) has given permission to transition our first product into the clinical phase. Thus, nanocarriers that are developed for the treatment of septic liver failure can be tested on healthy subjects for the very first time.

Read the official press release here

BMBF FUNDS NEW ATHANA PROJECT TO THE TUNE OF MILLIONS

The RUBIN alliance "ATHANA" is developing innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of infectious diseases, specifically fungal infections (Antifungal therapy approaches with nanoparticle-based targeting of drugs). SmartDyeLivery has joined forces with seven Thuringian companies and research institutions from the pharmaceutical-biotechnology and the infection and clinical research sector and acts as alliance coordinator. Together they aim to save human lives with innovative therapeutics and to develop the region into the European heart of anti-infective nanotechnologies. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project with a total funding volume of almost 6 million euros over three years as part of the RUBIN program - Regional Entrepreneurial Alliances for Innovation.

View press release

AFTER FOUR YEARS OF COVID BREAK: Highly-motivated members of the SmartDyeLivery team were back on the startline of the Thuringian Unternehmenslauf RUN, pounding the streets in the oldtown of Erfurt along with almost 8.600 others, completing the 5-kilometer course in style. All team members managed the run, with the odd drop of sweat shed, and enjoyed the rest of the evening on the Domplatz in Erfurt. 

LONG NIGHT OF SCIENCE IN JENA: Doors open for all science enthusiasts was the motto of numerous research institutions and companies in Jena on Friday from 18:00 to 24:00. SmartDyeLivery also participated again - together with the InfectoGnostics Forschungscampus Jena e.V. - and was excited about the huge crowd of young and old.

MEDWAYS NETWORK MEETING IN RUDOLSTADT: On Friday afternoon, AEROPHARM opened its doors to interested medways members. In addition to a site tour of the respiratory drug producer, which belongs to Novartis, there were excellent presentations on current topics in federal politics and EU regulation for clinical research projects, among others.

JOINT INTERVIEW WITH bmIt: What was so special about the start-up? What was the early phase of the company's foundation like? bmIt investment manager Stefan Jahn and managing director Dr. Marc Lehmann jointly answered these and more questions from the Thüringer Aufbaubank.

Click here for the interview

ANJA TRÄGER RECEIVES ROWENA MORSE AWARD: We congratulate our co-founder Dr. Anja Träger on this award for the best young scientist at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The prize, endowed with 5,000 €, was awarded during the Schiller Day on 24.06.2022. Rowena Morse was the first woman to receive a doctorate from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Jena.

"SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION": The motto of this year's Investor Days Thuringia said it all. After two years without a presence event, the start-ups were allowed to pitch live on stage again. SmartDyelivery presented itself as a growth company during the two-day event in Erfurt's stadium.

ARTICLE ON PARTICLES: Our cooperation partners at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC) at the FSU Jena have again succeeded in publishing a high-level paper on the characterization of nanoparticles. The publication on the comparison of methods for the size determination of nanoparticles has recently been accepted by the journal Analytica Chimica Acta. The scientists also used nanoparticles produced by SmartDyeLivery for this purpose. We congratulate on this success!

SMARTDYELIVERY IN THE LOCAL PRESS: "We are the freight forwarder" - The article published today in the Thüringer Allgemeine describes our platform technology with vivid metaphors. The current state of research and the upcoming challenges are also brought into public focus.

Click here for the online edition

MILLIONS IN ADDITIONAL FINANCING SECURED: bm-t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen gmbh (bm|t) and a private investor from the existing consortium were convinced by the latest preclinical study results. With the further funding, the first study in humans will be prepared and conducted. We are happy and grateful for the continued trust!

Read the press release here

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE "SEPSIS UPDATE" IN WEIMAR: The 10th international congress of the German Sepsis Society took place from September 8^th to 10^th. Under the motto "SEPSIS & COVID-19 - Beyond the Pandemic", the challenges of the pandemic in intensive care medicine were discussed. The pandemic also shaped the event itself: Planned as a hybrid event, the number of participants was limited on site and many lectures were connected online.

SmartDyeLivery was present as an exhibitor and presented its innovative technology at the joint stand with the InfectoGnostics Forschungscampus Jena e.V.

»OPERATION AIR CASTLE« AIR CLEANERS FOR JENA SCHOOLS AND KINDERGARTENS: As part of the Nanotechnology Foundation's »Operation Air Castle« initiative, SmartDyeLivery GmbH has also provided one of 17 air cleaners for schools and kindergardens in Jena, along with other Jena-based companies, private individuals and initiatives. The devices are intended to stop or reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 viruses and thus enable safer teaching or care. The detailed press release can be found here.

Image (f.l.): Dr. Marc Lehmann (CEO SmartDyeLivery GmbH), Dennis Sippach (Geschäftsführer IVOC-X GmbH), Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert (Stiftung Nanotechnologie)

JOINT PUBLICATION WITH RESEARCHERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF JENA AWARDED: The high-ranking publication in the scientific journal Nanoscale, published jointly with scientists from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC) on October 8, 2020, has been added to the Topic Collection 2020 Nanoscale HOT Article Collection.

SMARTDYELIVERY GMBH PRESENTS ITSELF AT INNOCON: This year's InnoCON took place on November 24th as a digital event under the motto »On the way to innovative value-added networks«. SmartDyeLivery presented itself together with numerous Thuringian stakeholders and networks at the big InnoPITCH.

SUCCESSFUL MULTI-MILLION FINANCING ROUND: SmartDyeLivery is pleased to announce the successful completion of its most recent financing round. In addition to bm-t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen gmbh (bm|t), which increased its lead investment, the Stiftung für Technologie, Innovation und Forschung Thüringen (STIFT), a group of business angels was also convinced. The investment will be used to finance important development steps for the specific therapy of septic liver failure - up to the first application in humans.

Read the complete press release here.

JOINT PUBLICATION WITH RESEARCHERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF JENA: The close cooperation with scientists from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), work continued on the jointly developed method for the quantitative investigation of physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, including in human blood serum. The experimentally developed methods will in future allow comprehensive quality assurance in nanomedical applications. The results were published in a joint high-ranking publication in the scientific journal Nanoscale.

JOINT PUBLICATION WITH BETEILIGUNGSMANAGEMENT THÜRINGEN GMBH (bm|t): The article »Gezielter Wirkstofftransport – eine Herausforderung« by SmartDyeLivery GmbH and bm-t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen GmbH was published in the e-magazine Plattform Life Sciences - 3/2020 »Biotechnology«. The approach of »packaging« active pharmaceutical ingredients in nanotransporters is expected to play an increasing role in personalized medicine in the future.

Read the complete article here.

INVESTOR DAYS THURINGIA - DIGITAL EDITION FROM 16-17 JUNE: This year everything is different and so Thuringia Investor Days will be presented in a new digital format. Under the theme "Playing Changes", innovative start-ups and growth companies can present themselves to potential investors and business angels from home in live pitches and with a virtual exhibition booth. SmartDyeLivery will also be part of the event again and is looking forward to two exciting virtual days!

JOINT PUBLICATION WITH RESEARCHERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF JENA: The close cooperation with scientists from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC) has now resulted in a shared high-ranking publication in the journal Analytical Chemistry. In this paper, young scientist Gizem Cinar and colleagues present a new method for the quantitative investigation of physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, among other things, in human blood serum. The experimentally developed methods can be used for future comprehensive quality assurance in nanomedical applications.

THE THURINGIAN PHARMA COMMUNITY IS ONLINE! With its joint Internet presence, the Thuringian Pharma Community is now showing the unique close cooperation between science, industry and medicine to the outside world.

Founded in 2016, the initiative has set itself the goal of giving Thuringia a lasting and unmistakable visibility as a pharmaceutical location. The community now comprises 20 partners, including companies of all sizes, research institutes, hospitals and state institutions. SmartDyeLivery has also joined the community in 2019 and has already been able to win valuable cooperation.

Take a look at: www.thueringer-pharma-community.de

POLYMER CHEMISTRY - RESEARCH AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL: SmartDyeLivery co-founder Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert ranks highly in the list of the world's most influential scientists of all time. The list includes both living and deceased authors who have an h-index of >100 and are therefore considered highly cited researchers. The h-Index (Hirsch-Index) is named after the physicist Jorge E. Hirsch, and is an indicator of the worldwide reputation of a scientist in professional circles.

BIOTECH FINANCE SUMMIT 2020: On February 11, BIO Deutschland, the trade association of the biotechnology industry, invited to this year's CFO Summit in Berlin. The participants were able to gather information and exchange views on all aspects of finance. Dr. Marc Lehmann, CEO of SmartDyeLivery, was also attending and confirmed an exciting program with many opportunities for discussion and networking.

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THE CONGRESS OF THE GERMAN SEPSIS-SOCIETY: Sepsis experts from all over the world discussed current developments in intensive care medicine at the Sepsis Update, which took place last week in Weimar. Our co-founder Prof. Michael Bauer, Director of the Clinic for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at the University Hospital of Jena and spokesman for the Center for Sepsis Control & Care (CSCC), reported on the current therapy and future medical requirements for septic liver failure. The SmartDyeLivery team heard the latest findings from sepsis research.

MEET US AT SEPSIS UPDATE CONGRESS IN WEIMAR: At the 9th International Congress "Sepsis & Multiorgan Failure" in Weimar from September 11th to 13th, SmartDyeLivery will again present itself together with the InfectoGnostics research campus. Come and see us! We are looking forward to stimulating discussions and an intensive exchange.

Read more about the congress here

INNOVATIVE POLYMERS FOR THE NANOMEDICINE OF THE 21st CENTURY: The Collaborative Research Center PolyTarget of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena is organizing a three-day symposium on this topic in-house. In front of an international audience, top-class experts will speak about current and future developments in the medicinal application of nanomaterials. SmartDyeLivery supports the event and looks forward to an excellent scientific exchange.

INDUSTRY CONTACT FORUM AM LEIBNIZ-HKI: For the second time, the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) organized an Industry Contact Forum for the exchange of doctoral students and industrial partners. SmartDyeLivery introduced itself with a company presentation and answered questions about career opportunities and everyday working life.

AT THE START OF THE THURINGIAN CORPORATE CHALLENGE 2019:

The SmartDyeLivery team took part in the RUN in Erfurt again this year. With temperatures above 30°C we sweated yesterday evening together with 9300 other runners on the almost 5 km long track. It was again a top organized event!

SMARTDYELIVERY AT THURINGIAN PHARMA COMMUNITY'S SPRING YEAR MEETING: Gera-based HAPILA GmbH hosted representatives of Thuringian pharmaceutical companies, academic research institutions and clinical study centres at the beginning of May. The Thuringian Pharma Community, which was founded in 2016 and has grown considerably since then, offers the Thuringian pharmaceutical industry a common platform. The aim is to bring together the entire value creation chain - from drug development to clinical trials and marketing - in Thuringia and make better use of existing potential. In the future, a joint public presence, including a website, will further strengthen the exchange.

Read the full press release here

RESEARCH CAMPUS EXPERTS VISITED SMARTDYELIVERY: SmartDyeLivery opened its doors yesterday as part of a guided tour of the InfectoGnostics research campus. InfectoGnostics is one of nine research campuses funded as public-private partnerships by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Approximately 40 representatives of all research camps plus representatives of the BMBF and the project executing agency Jülich travelled to Jena for a two-day workshop on the topic of "digitization". As an official partner, SmartDyeLivery also presented its work to the interested audience.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE ON NEW TASKS? We continue to grow and are looking for motivated employees to strengthen our team. We are looking forward to your application! Click here for the job advertisements

THURINGIA SUPPORTS NEW RESEARCH PROJECT: The Thüringer Aufbaubank is also supporting our latest project in the field of developing nanotherapeutics for biomedical use. We are grateful about the financial support and are starting with a great research spirit into new year!