LenioBio secures EUR 3.7M of EU4Health funding to develop ALiCE® for cost-effective and rapid production of protein-based medicines

DÜSSELDORF, Germany, July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LenioBio GmbH has been awarded EU4Health funding by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), which implemented the corresponding call for proposals on behalf of the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). The project will focus on further development of the cell-free protein expression system, ALiCE^®, as an innovative, rapid and on-demand medicine manufacturing technology with strategic value for Europe, fitting into the mission of HERA. The project has been awarded a grant of EUR 3.7M and commenced on 1^st July 2025, continuing until late 2027.

This EU4Health action contributes to the European Union's strategic objective to strengthen the availability, accessibility, and affordability of essential medicines. By supporting the development of innovative manufacturing processes, HERA aims to enable more efficient, cost-effective, scalable, sustainable, and environmentally cleaner production of medicines.

LenioBio will contribute with a project titled "Innovative protein medicine biomanufacturing with Continuous-Modular ALiCE", where key goals for the project include:

• Scaling ALiCE^® lysate production by optimising process yields, increasing batch size and transitioning to continuous manufacturing
• Expanding ALiCE^® capabilities for targeted classes of protein medicines such as vaccines, multispecific antibodies and growth factors by engineering new functionalities and demonstrating modular protein production methods at scale
• Laying the groundwork for GMP-grade lysate production by establishing analytical qualifications, quality systems, and regulatory filing package

"This grant is another significant milestone for LenioBio. It enables us to scale our platform and broadens its application for medicine production, providing a future proof solution for the agile production of novel and complex proteins." said André Goerke, CEO of LenioBio.

LenioBio's project has been awarded the STEP Seal by the European Commission. The STEP Seal is granted to proposals deemed strategically important for Europe's technological and health sovereignty (https://www.leniobio.com/press-release/leniobio-earns-prestigious-eu-step-seal-a-signal-of-excellence-for-investors/).

ALiCE^® Cell-Free Protein Expression System is designed to scale seamlessly from research to production, enabling the rapid synthesis of complex proteins without relying on living cells. The platform is already supporting vaccine development and drug discovery by enabling fast, flexible protein production. With support from the EU4Health grant, LenioBio is now advancing ALiCE^® to meet the demands of clinical use and large-scale manufacturing.

About LenioBio:

LenioBio GmbH is a protein expression platform company committed to the advancement of transformative technology for the discovery, development, and large-scale production of proteins, unconstrained by the limitations of the cell. LenioBio was established as a legal entity in Germany in September 2016, with offices in Dusseldorf and R&D and production labs in Aachen. For more information about LenioBio, please visit our website at www.leniobio.com  and follow LenioBio on LinkedIn.

About EU4Health, HaDEA and HERA

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) implements the vast majority of the EU4Health programme by managing calls for proposals and tenders from 2021 to 2027. The programme and its calls represent an ambitious response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but go beyond crisis response to address the resilience of European healthcare systems and contribute to a healthier Europe.  EU4Health funds actions that include increasing the availability, accessibility, and affordability of medicines and medical products, boosting preparedness for cross-border health threats, and advancing innovation in healthcare. Learn more here (https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en)

The European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) was established in response to lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. HERA supports projects that strengthen the EU's capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to serious health emergencies, ensuring the timely availability of critical medical countermeasures. Learn more here (https://health.ec.europa.eu/health-emergency-preparedness-and-response-hera_en)

Media Contact:

Akanksha Ranjit
Marketing & Communications
LenioBio GmbH
a.ranjit@leniobio.com

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