Revolutionary tech promises to transform life-saving antibody treatments and reduce hospital stays

UNIVERSITY OF BATH PRESS RELEASE

Revolutionary tech promises to transform life-saving antibody treatments and reduce hospital stays

World Immunisation Week 2025 (24 to 30 April): University of Bath spinout company EnsiliTech plans to harness 'ensilication' – a method for encasing found in vaccines and medicinal antibodies in a silica shell – to deliver antibody treatments and reduce hospital stays.

A groundbreaking technique for delivering medicine that promises to eliminate the need for patients to spend hours at a time in hospital while drug infusions are dripped into their veins is being developed by researchers at a University of Bath spinout company.

The company, EnsiliTech, in partnership with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), has received £1.4 million from Innovate UK to refine its groundbreaking ensilication® technology so that it can be applied to life-saving antibody treatments.

Ensilication is a method for encasing biomolecules (proteins and nucleic acids) found in vaccines and medicinal antibodies in a silica shell. This wrapping technique keeps the biomolecules stable at room temperature and prevents them from clumping when they are mixed in a solution.

The new initiative between EnsiliTech and CPI – a British technology and innovation social enterprise that helps companies accelerate the development of their health-tech technologies to meet global healthcare needs – aims to improve sustainability of the antibody manufacturing process by eliminating the need for products to be stored and transported at low or ultra-low temperatures. The project will also explore the potential patient benefits of ensilicating antibody therapies.

Currently, antibody therapies are typically given to patients by intravenous infusion. Although treatment preparations vary, some antibodies need to be suspended in large volumes of fluid – up to 2 litres – and can take hours to administer through a drip. Antibodies tend to aggregate, or clump together, when they are compressed in a small volume, which is why some treatments need to be delivered in large volumes of fluid.

The EnsiliTech team believes their technology will make it possible to reformulate antibody treatments at far higher concentrations. As a result, less fluid will be needed to administer the same amount of active ingredient. The hope is that simple injections under the skin will eventually be possible for some treatments, significantly reducing the time patients spend receiving their medication.

Dr Asel Sartbaeva, co-founder and CEO of EnsiliTech, and researcher in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bath, said: “We are excited to be working with CPI on such an important and impactful programme, as today access to antibody treatments is quite limited especially in low and middle-income countries, in part due to their dependence on ultra cold refrigeration*.

“Ensilicating antibodies will help us to remove this reliance. Also, by enabling higher concentration formulations, ensilication will allow for subcutaneous rather than intravenous administration, making treatments more patient-friendly and reducing the burden on healthcare facilities.

“This shift could enable more therapies to be administered in community or home settings, improving patient convenience and reducing hospital dependency.”

This initiative aligns well with the priorities set by the NHS and health services globally, which aim to free up hospital beds and enhance patient care within the community.

The antibody revolution

There is increasing interest in using antibodies in medical practice to treat a range of serious conditions. This treatment approach is already starting to revolutionise the treatment of some cancers, as well as infectious diseases, cystic fibrosis and autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s disease.

For the new two-year project, the team will demonstrate the feasibility of using ensilication to deliver Trastuzumab – a monoclonal antibody treatment used to treat breast and stomach cancers.

The researchers will develop a new ensilicated version of Trastuzumab.  They will also analyse both the energy savings and health-service cost savings from replacing the current formulation (which requires longer term storage at -80°C and transportation at a temperature of 2-8°C, and is delivered by infusion) with an ensilicated form of the drug (which would remain stable at room temperature, thanks to the ensilication process).

By the end of the project, the team hopes to demonstrate that ensilication can be applied to antibodies on a large scale, and that the technology can reduce the carbon footprint of storing and transporting antibodies, thereby creating savings to governments and health services. This would significantly improve access to antibody treatments, especially in low-and-middle-income countries.

The funding for this project comes from the UKRI’s Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation: Collaborative R&D competition.

*Currently, vaccines and medicinal antibodies must be stored and transported in low or ultra-low temperatures – from -70°C to 8°C. Maintaining refrigeration as medicines are transported to poor or remote communities is a huge logistical challenge, and the ‘cold chain’ often breaks down along the way, resulting in medicines spoiling and needing to be discarded. Breaks in the global cold chain are a serious and costly global public health issue.

ENDS.

Notes

For more information, please contact Vittoria D’Alessio at the University of Bath press office: 01225 383135 or email: press@bath.ac.uk. Alternatively, visit www.ensilitech.com or contact: hello@ensilitech.com.

•              Images: https://tinyurl.com/3wtyarcr

•              Image credit: University of Bath

•              Explainer video: https://tinyurl.com/2s36ke47

•              Read more about ensilication: https://stories.bath.ac.uk/why-tomorrow-s-vaccines-will-come-with-a-pinch-of-sand/index.html

•              Read more about EnsiliTech: https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/the-cutting-edge-vaccine-technology-aiming-to-pandemic-proof-the-world/

The University of Bath

The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities, with a reputation for high-impact research, excellence in education, student experience and graduate prospects.

We are ranked in the top 10 of all of the UK’s major university guides. We are also ranked among the world’s top 10% of universities, placing 150th in the QS World University Rankings 2025. Bath was rated in the world’s top 10 universities for sport in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.

Research from Bath is helping to change the world for the better. Across the University’s three Faculties and School of Management, our research is making an impact in society, leading to low-carbon living, positive digital futures, and improved health and wellbeing. Find out all about our Research with Impact: https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/research-with-impact/

About EnsiliTech

EnsiliTech is a pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to enhancing the stability and accessibility of biopharmaceuticals through its proprietary Ensilication technology.  EnsiliTech is a Bristol-based startup, which spun out from the University of Bath in July 2022. In December 2022, EnsiliTech had finalised a first, oversubscribed, pre-seed investment round of £1.2M/$1.5M. This consisted of an Innovate UK grant and private investment from Science Angels Syndicate, Fink Family Office, QantX and angels.

About CPI

CPI catalyses the adoption of advanced technologies to drive sustainable manufacturing and pharmaceutical innovation. As a pioneering social enterprise within the UK Government’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, we have supported over 1,000 companies—delivering more than 1,800 business support activities since 2012. With over £220m of innovation assets and state-of-the-art biologics and formulations facilities, our experts accelerate the development and scale-up of next-generation medicines, vaccines, and therapeutics. By working together, we create lasting global impact, making healthcare more accessible and sustainable. Let’s innovate together: www.uk-cpi.com.

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.