Vianautis
Denis Cecchin currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer at Vianautis since November 2023. Prior to this role, Denis was the Chief Technology Officer at SomaNautix and SomaServe from July 2019 to November 2023, focusing on leveraging PolyNaut technology for the life science industry, particularly in oncology. Before that, Denis held positions at University College London from April 2013 to March 2021 as a Research and Development Officer and PDRA/Lab Manager, and at The University of Sheffield from January 2010 to March 2013 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Research Assistant. Denis holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Drug Delivery Systems for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine from Università degli Studi di Padova (2006-2009) and a Doctor of Pharmacy in Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the same institution (2000-2006).
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Vianautis
ViaNautis, formerly known as SomaServe, was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from UCL under the leadership of CEO and serial entrepreneur, Dr Francesca Crawford. The company’s core mission is to exploit the unique capabilities of the revolutionary polyNaut® technology. PolyNaut® is a versatile nano-engineered polymer technology designed for targeted intracellular delivery. This innovative technology enables polymer nanoparticles to deliver a wide range of payloads from small molecules to genetic materials creating ‘a bionic nanoparticle.’ The highly adaptable polymer structure of polyNaut® can be formulated to encapsulate a wide array of genetic cargoes, with sizes exceeding current standards for viral and non-viral delivery. Notably, it enhances the therapeutic efficacy of encapsulated molecules through direct delivery to the cell cytoplasm, facilitated by GOTO® technology for intracellular shuttling. PolyNaut® is set apart from conventional non-viral delivery technologies through its remarkable ability to target specific cells and penetrate biological barriers, including the challenging blood-brain barrier. PolyNaut® nanoparticles, when functionalised for CNS delivery through transcytosis, exhibit exceptional brain uptake. Deploying its state-of-the-art polyNaut® platform, ViaNautis is at the forefront of pioneering new therapies for CNS diseases and cystic fibrosis. The company is actively building an internal pipeline and collaborating with leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies to unlock the potential of promising genetic molecules as well as new therapeutic platforms.