The "Cluster for Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Munich" (C-NATM), an innovation network of science and industry, is funded annually with five million euros by the federal government, partly by the Free State of Bavaria and participating companies. Subject to a successful interim review, the project will run for nine years. In addition to various disciplines, the project includes LMU and TUM Researchers from other research institutions as well as experts from pharmaceutical companies and startups in the region.
“Nucleic acid-based drugs offer enormous potential for medicine”
C-NATM aims to create a network for the development of novel nucleic acid-based drugs and next-generation vaccines. This future cluster aims to help nucleic acid therapies achieve a breakthrough on a broad front. Stefan Engelhardt, one of the two spokespersons of C-NATM, is certain:
"Nucleic acid-based drugs offer enormous potential for medicine. We are very confident that they will soon be able to treat numerous diseases that have previously been difficult or impossible to treat."
Maintain or further expand your lead
LMU researcher and C-NATM spokesperson Thomas Carell continues:
"With the development of the first mRNA vaccine, Germany currently has a small lead in mRNA vaccine development. With this new cluster, we can help maintain or even expand this lead. In collaboration with industrial partners, C-NATM will establish a highly innovative and world-leading industrial focus in the field of nucleic acid therapeutics."
The new cluster C-NATM is one of seven future clusters that have just entered the second round of the two-stage BMBF competition “Clusters4Future” have prevailed. 117 applications were originally received. The future clusters are intended to link Germany's cutting-edge research with questions of applicability at an early stage and initiate innovation processes. Partnership structures in a narrow geographical area make a significant contribution to this.
