ST Pharm said on the 13th it has completed patent registration in Japan for its ionizable lipid STP1244, a key raw material for its mRNA-LNP (messenger RNA-lipid nanoparticle) platform, STLNP, as well as an LNP formulation applying the lipid (STL1244).
The company said the registration is the first granted patent tied to its STLNP platform. It said the patent is significant because it covers not only formulation technology but also a core ingredient that determines LNP performance, adding that the approval formally recognizes the technology’s originality and completeness.
LNPs are essential carriers that deliver mRNA into cells, and ionizable lipids play a central role in delivery efficiency and endosomal escape. ST Pharm said STP1244, which it designed and developed in-house, helps improve intracellular delivery efficiency and supports delivery stability.
With the patent, ST Pharm said it has built a technology portfolio spanning from key raw materials to finished formulations, strengthening its technical base as a CDMO in the fast-growing mRNA vaccine and therapeutics market.
The company said it is pursuing patent examinations for the same technology in nine countries, starting with Japan and including South Korea, the United States, Europe and China, and plans to expand global rights.
A company official said that, following last year’s Japanese patent registration for SmartCap, securing STLNP means ST Pharm now holds both core platform technologies for mRNA drug development. The official said the company will play a “pivotal role” in developing mRNA cancer vaccines and in-vivo CAR-T therapies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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