Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental MedicineProject "iGUARD"
Researchers from Fraunhofer ITEM and MHH Receive the Lower Saxony Innovation Award 2025
The collaborative project “iGUARD – Inhalable RNA Therapeutics for Targeted Treatment of Lung Diseases” has been honored with the Lower Saxony Innovation Award 2025. The team of researchers from Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM received the award in the category “Knowledge and Technology Transfer.” The prize was presented on November 4, 2025, at a formal ceremony in Hannover by Falko Mohrs, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture. The Innovation Award is granted by the Niedersachsen.next innovation network and comes with a prize of €20,000.
Drug Delivered Directly to the Lungs
Despite the successful development of vaccines, there are still no effective treatments for most viral diseases. The iGUARD team aims to change this by developing RNA-based medicines for people with severe lung diseases. Since the active ingredients can be quickly adapted to different viruses, they also offer protection against newly emerging infectious diseases. A special patented chemical structure of the RNA enables the therapeutics to be inhaled directly into the lungs, increasing efficacy while reducing severe side effects. Thanks to its high adaptability, the technology has the potential to accelerate the development of additional antiviral therapies.
An Innovative Therapeutic Approach
The iGUARD project has already received multiple rounds of funding from the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND) as part of the SPRIND Challenge. “I am very pleased that our innovative therapeutic approach convinced the jury,” said Professor Axel Schambach, co-lead of the project and head of the Institute of Experimental Hematology at MHH. “This award will help us to further advance our development and bring the therapeutic agent to patients more quickly.” The project involves the Institute of Experimental Hematology at MHH (Prof. Axel Schambach, Prof. Dr. Dr. Adrian Schwarzer) and the Preclinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Department at Fraunhofer ITEM (Prof. Dr. Armin Braun, Dr. Philippe Vollmer Barbosa).
Almost 100 Applications
The Lower Saxony Innovation Award has been presented annually since 2016 by the Niedersachsen.next innovation network in the categories “Knowledge and Technology Transfer” and “Key Technologies.” It recognizes forward-looking ideas that foster collaboration between science and industry or enable technological breakthroughs. The patrons of the award are Falko Mohrs, Minister for Science and Culture, and Grant Hendrik Tonne, Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, and Construction of Lower Saxony. This year, almost 100 applications were submitted for the award.