What NeoVac does

NeoVac is a UK-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2021 by Prof. Dan Peer and Prof. Adrian Hill, headquartered at Milton Park in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The company is developing a proprietary next-generation lipid nanoparticle platform ("LNP 2.0") for the delivery of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. Its core technology comprises a broad portfolio of proprietary ionizable lipids and a versatile lipid library that enables engineered LNPs with tunable immune activation, cellular targeting specificity, and tunable degradability. The stated value proposition is improved safety versus existing licensed mRNA products, together with adaptable engineering for multiple therapeutic applications.

The platform has been clinically validated through a first-in-human Phase I/II study that demonstrated fewer and less severe side effects compared to licensed products, alongside proven humoral and cellular immune responses. NeoVac's lead candidate, NeomiVac, has been evaluated in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial for safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity. The pipeline extends the platform across four application areas: cancer immunotherapy, shingles, malaria (a dual-stage PEV-TBV strategy), and plague (described as the first-ever mRNA vaccine for Yersinia pestis, a Category A bioterrorism agent). The IP estate underlying the platform has historically been licensed to Genentech, Merck, and BioNTech via the founders' prior ventures, notably Precision Nanosystems.

NeoVac is pre-revenue. Its business model is structured around platform licensing, co-development partnerships, and pipeline product commercialization with large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and partnership-driven: the company advances clinical programs internally and seeks to license or partner assets for late-stage development and commercialization. The team is small (11-50 employees), anchored by co-founders Prof. Peer (Tel Aviv University) and Prof. Hill (Director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford, co-inventor of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine), and was joined in September 2025 by Dr. Jan H. Egberts as CEO.

Name

NeoVac

Website

https://neovac.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NeoVac is a UK clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a proprietary next-generation lipid nanoparticle (LNP 2.0) platform for mRNA therapeutics and vaccines, with a completed Phase I/II study and pipeline spanning cancer immunotherapy, shingles, malaria, and plague biodefense.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

mRNA Therapeutics and Lipid Nanoparticle Delivery

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Vaccine Delivery & Administration Systems (needle-free, microneedle patches, intranasal/oral) (HLAAAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Therapeutic Vaccines (e.g., Cancer/Chronic Infection) (HLAIAEAG), Therapeutic Vaccines (cancer, chronic infection immunotherapy) (HLAAAEAB), Personalized Therapeutic Design (neoantigen vaccines, individualized cell/gene therapies) (HLAAANAK), Vaccine Adjuvants & Formulation Systems (HLAIAEAI)

Keywords

• Lipid nanoparticles
• MRNA therapeutics
• RNA vaccine platform
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Drug delivery systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Didcot

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Platform / Technology Licensing: NeoVac appears pre-revenue, developing its LNP platform for mRNA therapeutics. The company has historically licensed IP to Genentech, Merck, BioNTech and other companies (through Precision Nanosystems, a prior venture of founder Prof. Dan Peer). Future revenue may derive from platform licensing, co-development partnerships, or pipeline product commercialization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NeoVac develops a proprietary Lipid Nanoparticle 2.0 (LNP 2.0) delivery platform built on a portfolio of proprietary ionizable lipids with tunable degradability, enabling safer and more adaptable mRNA therapeutics for vaccines, cancer immunotherapy, and autoimmune diseases. The company advances specific vaccine candidates including NeomiVac (a next-generation mRNA-LNP vaccine evaluated in a Phase I/II study), plus targeted programs for malaria, plague, shingles, and cancer immunotherapy, with planned commercialization through licensing and co-development with large pharmaceutical partners.

Product overview

NeoVac is a pharmaceutical company that has developed a proprietary LNP 2.0 platform for mRNA therapeutics. The platform comprises a broad portfolio of proprietary lipids advancing next-generation lipid nanoparticle technology with tunable degradability. NeoVac's core product offerings include the LNP 2.0 platform technology and NeomiVac, their first-in-human vaccine candidate. The company is developing multiple therapeutic and preventative applications including cancer immunotherapy, shingles, plague (the first-ever mRNA vaccine for plague), and malaria (a dual-stage PEV-TBV strategy). The platform enables engineering of tailored LNPs with tunable immune activation and targeting specificity for vaccination and therapy applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LNP 2.0 Platform Proprietary lipid nanoparticle platform technology for mRNA therapeutics, comprising a broad portfolio of proprietary ionizable lipids with tunable degradability; enables safer, more adaptable delivery systems for vaccines, cancer immunotherapy, and autoimmune diseases. Designed to be licensed or co-developed with pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners.
• NeomiVac A next-generation mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine comprising a novel ionisable lipid, evaluated in a first-in-human Phase 1 dose escalation trial for safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity; serves as the lead clinical candidate for the LNP 2.0 platform.
• Cancer Immunotherapy Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Fewer and less severe side effects in early human studies compared to licensed mRNA vaccine products
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Jenner Institute, University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeoVac co-founder Prof. Adrian Hill serves as Director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford. The Jenner Institute is a leading center for vaccine development and co-invented the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This relationship provides NeoVac with deep vaccine development expertise and institutional ties to one of the world's leading academic vaccine centers. Prof. Hill also serves as Chairperson of NeoVac's Scientific Advisory Board.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arcturus Therapeutics: Arcturus is a clinical-stage mRNA medicines company with proprietary lipid-mediated delivery technology and a pipeline that includes vaccines and rare-disease therapeutics — overlapping directly with NeoVac's LNP-platform-plus-multiple-indication model.
• BioNTech: BioNTech is a top-tier mRNA therapeutics company commercializing COVID-19 and oncology mRNA vaccines. It has previously licensed NeoVac founders' prior LNP IP, making it both a technology licensee and a direct LNP/mRNA competitor.
• Genevant Sciences: Genevant develops lipid nanoparticle delivery technology for nucleic-acid therapeutics (RNAi, mRNA, gene editing), and is a direct peer in the proprietary-LNP-delivery segment where NeoVac competes.
• Moderna: Moderna is the leading independent mRNA therapeutics and vaccines company with its own proprietary LNP delivery platform (e.g., SM-102). It pursues infectious-disease, oncology, and autoimmune programs overlapping directly with NeoVac's application footprint.
• CureVac: CureVac develops mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics using its own LNPs and platform technologies, with infectious-disease and oncology programs that parallel NeoVac's application areas.
• Precision Nanosystems (Danaher): Founded by NeoVac co-founder Prof. Dan Peer and now part of Danaher, Precision Nanosystems provides LNP formulation instruments and lipid libraries for mRNA therapeutics — comparable technology infrastructure competing for the same development pipeline as NeoVac.
• Acuitas Therapeutics: Acuitas develops ionizable lipid technology for LNPs and is the supplier of LNPs used in Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine. It competes head-to-head with NeoVac's LNP 2.0 platform in the third-party LNP supply market.

Broad incumbents

• Translate Bio (Sanofi): Sanofi acquired Translate Bio to build an mRNA vaccine platform and is a broad incumbent developing LNP/mRNA products across infectious disease and rare disease — analogous broad-incumbent competition for NeoVac's pipeline focus areas.
• Pfizer: Pfizer is the large incumbent biopharma partner commercializing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines via BioNTech/Acuitas LNPs and pursuing broader mRNA programs — a broad incumbent with overlapping LNP/mRNA capability that NeoVac may target as a partner or compete against.

Emerging players

• ReCode Therapeutics: ReCode is a clinical-stage company developing lipid nanoparticle-based delivery platforms for genetic medicines to the lungs and other tissues. It is an emerging direct peer in the next-generation LNP space relevant to NeoVac.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neovacuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NeoVac