NERDG 2026
Abstracts for Round Table (RT) Session 3: New Therapeutic Modalities
Presentation 1
Title TBD
Dr. Manjunatha Shivaraju, Boehringer Ingelheim
Abstract:
TBD
Abstracts for Round Table (RT) Session 3: New Therapeutic Modalities
Presentation 1
Title TBD
Dr. Manjunatha Shivaraju, Boehringer Ingelheim
Abstract:
TBD
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Bio:
Manjunatha leads an interdisciplinary team advancing innovative drug delivery solutions from concept through clinical development, seamlessly integrating analytical development with tissue biology insights. He directs analytical strategies across a broad range of modalities—including small-molecule NCEs, peptides, viral vectors, and biologics—while managing CRO partnerships and ensuring full regulatory compliance. His expertise centers on advanced delivery platforms, including ocular, subcutaneous, and inhalation systems, with a special emphasis on long-acting injectables for retinal diseases and obesity treatments. He fosters close collaboration across formulation, manufacturing scale-up, and drug-device integration teams, leveraging rigorous analytical methods and innovative preclinical models to drive transformative therapies that address critical unmet needs and improve patient outcomes in underserved areas.
Manjunatha leads an interdisciplinary team advancing innovative drug delivery solutions from concept through clinical development, seamlessly integrating analytical development with tissue biology insights. He directs analytical strategies across a broad range of modalities—including small-molecule NCEs, peptides, viral vectors, and biologics—while managing CRO partnerships and ensuring full regulatory compliance. His expertise centers on advanced delivery platforms, including ocular, subcutaneous, and inhalation systems, with a special emphasis on long-acting injectables for retinal diseases and obesity treatments. He fosters close collaboration across formulation, manufacturing scale-up, and drug-device integration teams, leveraging rigorous analytical methods and innovative preclinical models to drive transformative therapies that address critical unmet needs and improve patient outcomes in underserved areas.
Presentation 2
Beyond intrathecal: less-invasive oligonucleotide delivery across BBB
Dr. Anisha D'souza, Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Abstract:
Delivering disease-modifying therapeutics to the brain for chronic neurodegenerative disorders remains one of the greatest challenges in medicine, largely due to the restrictive blood–brain barrier (BBB). Our group has developed the Minimally Invasive Nasal Depot (MIND) approach, a transformative strategy for CNS delivery that overcomes the limitations of both BBB penetration and traditional intranasal administration, including low efficiency and inconsistent dosing. MIND enables reproducible, targeted therapeutic exposure directly to the olfactory epithelium, unlocking new opportunities for precision CNS therapy. This platform has been rigorously validated in rodent models using brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) AntagoNATs delivered via gels, liposome-in-gel systems, and osmotic core–shell implant devices, demonstrating robust and controlled CNS delivery.
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Bio:
Anisha D’Souza is a Research Scientist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston and she is currently a visiting scholar at Northeastern University. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and specializes in drug delivery and formulation science. Her research focuses on colloidal drug delivery systems such as polymeric and solid lipid nanoparticles for improving bioavailability, enabling controlled release, and developing targeted delivery platforms. Currently, she is advancing drug delivery strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, working at the interface of small molecules and biologics.
Anisha D’Souza is a Research Scientist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston and she is currently a visiting scholar at Northeastern University. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and specializes in drug delivery and formulation science. Her research focuses on colloidal drug delivery systems such as polymeric and solid lipid nanoparticles for improving bioavailability, enabling controlled release, and developing targeted delivery platforms. Currently, she is advancing drug delivery strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, working at the interface of small molecules and biologics.
Presentation 3
Multilayer Nanoplatforms for Effective Therapeutic Delivery to the Lungs
Prof. Vivek Gupta, St. John's University
Abstract:
Multilayer nanoplatforms represent a versatile and modular approach for engineering inhalable carriers for pulmonary drug delivery. By sequentially assembling complementary materials, these systems enable precise control over particle size, surface characteristics, drug loading, and release profiles. These attributes are particularly advantageous for delivering small molecules, biologics, and nucleic acid therapeutics to the lungs, where localized delivery can improve efficacy while minimizing systemic exposure. Inhalable multilayer particles also offer opportunities for combination therapy and tunable pharmacokinetics. This presentation will highlight the design principles, translational considerations, and therapeutic potential of multilayer nanoplatforms for localized lung delivery.
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Bio:
Dr. Vivek Gupta is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. His research focuses on translational pharmaceutics, non-invasive drug delivery, and repurposing therapeutics for pulmonary and rare diseases. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and holds multiple patents in drug delivery and formulation technologies. Dr. Gupta’s work is supported by federal agencies, industry, and private foundations, and several of his innovations have advanced toward clinical development. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and has received numerous awards for research excellence, innovation, and academic leadership.
Dr. Vivek Gupta is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. His research focuses on translational pharmaceutics, non-invasive drug delivery, and repurposing therapeutics for pulmonary and rare diseases. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and holds multiple patents in drug delivery and formulation technologies. Dr. Gupta’s work is supported by federal agencies, industry, and private foundations, and several of his innovations have advanced toward clinical development. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and has received numerous awards for research excellence, innovation, and academic leadership.
