Entrega Bio

Entrega Bio is a Boston-based biotechnology firm, established in 2010 by Daphne Zohar, focused on developing technology for the oral delivery of complex biologic drugs, vaccines, and other molecules that are typically administered via injection. The company was formed by Enlight Biosciences, a collaborative venture between PureTech Health and several major pharmaceutical companies, to address the significant challenge of oral biologic administration. As an affiliate of PureTech Health, which maintains approximately 73.8% ownership, Entrega operates within its parent company's ecosystem. A key financial milestone was a $5 million Series A investment from Eli Lilly and Company in December 2017 to advance its peptide delivery technology.

The company's core mission is to solve the oral delivery problem for macromolecules like peptides and proteins, which are foundational to treating diseases such as diabetes but are usually broken down in the digestive system. The business model centers on leveraging its proprietary platform technology through collaborations with pharmaceutical partners. These partnerships involve upfront payments and research milestones for applying Entrega's technology to the partners' biologic drug candidates, while Entrega retains the rights to its core platform.

Entrega’s technology platform utilizes a customizable hydrogel dosage form designed to control the microenvironment within the gastrointestinal tract. This approach aims to protect the active drug from degradation, enhance its absorption into the bloodstream, and reduce the variability of drug exposure. One iteration of the technology involves a capsule that releases minuscule, drug-coated wafers inside the small intestine, which then adhere to the intestinal lining to release their payload, functioning like an internal dermal patch. In 2023, the company demonstrated a two- to three-fold increase in oral peptide bioavailability compared to standard formulations in preclinical studies and anticipates further preclinical validation in 2025.

The scientific foundation of Entrega is supported by a world-class advisory board, prominently featuring Dr. Robert S. Langer of MIT as the Scientific Advisory Board Chair. Dr. Langer is a revered pioneer in drug delivery and tissue engineering, holding over 1,400 patents and recognized as the most cited engineer in history. His work has been instrumental in creating new polymers for precisely timed chemical release. The initial technology platform was licensed from the lab of Dr. Samir Mitragotri, a professor at Harvard University, and has since been enhanced by internal developments.

Keywords: oral drug delivery, biologics, peptide delivery, hydrogel technology, protein therapeutics, vaccine delivery, drug formulation, pharmaceutical partnership, Eli Lilly, PureTech Health, Robert Langer, Daphne Zohar, preclinical stage, GI tract absorption, drug bioavailability, macromolecule delivery, controlled release, drug development, biotechnology, life sciences