Inventor Profile

Lars Lindner

Invention: Temperature-sensitive liposomes for targeted drug delivery
Advantage: The new liposomes can stably travel throughout the body for a long time, but will instantly release the drug they contain once heated to temperatures beyond 40° C. When combined with regional hyperthermia, the approach allows for specific delivery and accumulation of potent drugs at the tumour site which should increase the drug’s efficacy and reduce side effects.
Inventors: Dr Lars Lindner, Prof. Dr Hansjörg Eibl
Institute of origin: Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Department of Phospholipids), Göttingen, Germany
Collaboration partners: University Hospital Großhadern and Helmholtz Zentrum München, both Munich, Germany

Not being limited to what the pharmaceutical industry offers – that is one of the driving forces in Lars Lindner’s professional life. As an oncologist, he is faced with the shortcomings of available therapeutics each day. At the same time, he is convinced that his new approach jointly developed with Prof. Eibl, specialist in phospholipids, and Prof. Issels, expert in regional hyperthermia (RHT), holds strong promise for many cancer patients. The idea was born in the late 1990s during Lindner’s time as doctoral student in Prof. Eibl’s lab in Göttingen.

That was about 10 years ago. How have things progressed from there?
The idea and its potential benefit for patients seemed so compelling to me that I could not get it out of my mind. In order to further advance the approach, I moved to Munich, where I had the opportunity to work as physician, and, in parallel, as clinical researcher together with Prof. Issels and his team. We jointly explored the application of our thermo-sensitive liposomes in combination with regional hyperthermia and generated an impressive set of data that were really encouraging.

When did you start thinking about commercializing your invention?
In a sense, right from the beginning. It has always been my vision to make the technology available for cancer patients – which means that you have to move it from the bench to market.
The more tricky question was: how to make this transition?

What is your strategy?
The idea is to set-up a new company: “Lipotherm”. Together with colleagues, technology transfer professionals and a team of students in business economy, we have already outlined a business plan that won second price in the 2006 Munich Business Plan Contest. It was an inspiring project. By bringing together different disciplines, we were able to effectively create a viable business concept. However, before building up our new venture, we need to complete pre-clinical studies and provide proof-of-concept in relevant animal models. Currently, we are in process of applying for appropriate funding.

Why not simply out-licence your patent to big pharma?
Firstly, our technology is still at too early a stage to attract a big pharma partner. Secondly, our approach is to some extent “off the beaten track”. Regional hyperthermia demonstrated impressive results in phase III studies and is becoming more established, but is still limited to a few clinical centres. Moreover, most of our work focuses on sarcoma which is an orphan indication. So, our approach does not very well fit into typical pharma marketing and business development strategies.

Does that mean that your approach may miss market requirements?
No, we are addressing a very urgent medical need. I am convinced that the combination of our drug delivery technology with regional hyperthermia can substantially improve the safety and efficacy of some of the most common drugs – chemotherapeutics for instance. This makes it highly attractive, also from the commercial point of view. But there remains a long way to go. And at this stage of development, it needs a “champion”, a person who has not only the knowledge and expertise that is required but also absolute commitment.

Are you prepared to join the start-up team?
Sure – although I am open with regards to the position. I would probably not be an ideal CEO and I definitely want to keep in touch with patients. I also believe that the experience of day-to-day life in the clinic will be helpful in moving our new therapy towards the market. And vice versa: The understanding of professional drug development will certainly inspire my work as physician and clinical researcher.

Looking back, what was most surprising for you along the way from the initial idea to the current stage?
Well, things take always longer than expected. And: There is a great difference between creating a new approach and validating it to industry standards. Most difficult for me was to find advice on drug development and regulatory issues, e.g. on how to design preclinical studies. Without the help of Ascenion and Max Planck Innovation and the contacts they provided, the progress up to now would not have been possible.

Looking to the future – what are your short-term objectives?
I keep learning. Mid of this year, I have accepted a one-year position as PostDoc at the Laboratory for Experimental Surgical Oncology, Erasmus MC, in Rotterdam. My primary goal is to further improve my understanding of preclinical testing and translational research.

This also means commuting between Rotterdam and Munich for one year. How does that all fit with your personal life?
Right, my schedule is quite dense. However, it takes exceptional personal commitment to translate an idea into an application – as we mentioned before. Nevertheless, I must admit that it would probably not be compatible with family life if my wife did not share my enthusiasm for clinical research and the potential benefit it holds for patients. Our 10-year vision is obvious: Having a new temperature-sensitive liposome approved and in widespread use for the treatment of cancer.

Lars Lindner is 36 years old, married, and has two children.