Millions awarded for a new generation of IgA-based medicines

A completely new generation of medicines has moved one step closer to reality. The PHARMIGA consortium has been awarded nearly €5 million through the Dutch PharmaNL programme, with partners contributing another €5 million. This €10 million investment will help build a national research network focused on developing medicines based on IgA antibodies. This is a naturally occurring part of our immune system that could transform treatment for a wide range of diseases.

The PHARMIGA consortium is receiving nearly €5 million from the PharmaNL program, which aims to accelerate the development of new medicines. Partners are contributing an additional €5 million to the consortium. PHARMIGA is led by researchers Roos Masereeuw and Albert Heck, both affiliated with Utrecht University.

A different type of antibodies

Antibodies are proteins made by our immune system to recognize and neutralize viruses, bacteria, and other threats. Scientists have long used lab-made antibodies as medicines, especially to treat cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders.

For decades, most therapeutic antibodies have been built around one specific type: IgG. These medicines are widely used to treat cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders. IgG antibodies work well in the bloodstream, but they are far less effective in tissues lined with mucus, such as the lungs and intestines. That is precisely where many major health challenges arise, including respiratory infections and certain cancers.

IgA antibodies, by contrast, are naturally abundant in those mucosal tissues. They are designed by the body to neutralize pathogens at these vulnerable entry points and they activate immune cells in ways that differ from IgG. 

Despite their promise, very few IgA-based medicines have reached the market. The reason is not lack of potential, but complexity. Developing and manufacturing IgA therapies is technically demanding, expensive, and risky. The necessary expertise, equipment, and testing systems are currently scattered across different institutions.

A national research toolbox

PHARMIGA aims to change that. Rather than focusing on a single drug, the consortium is building a complete national “toolbox” for IgA research and development. By bringing together knowledge, technology, and facilities in one coordinated network, researchers and companies will be able to develop IgA therapies faster and more reliably.

We have known for years that IgA has enormous potential. But without the right infrastructure, that potential remains fragmented

“We have known for years that IgA has enormous potential, especially in areas where current antibodies fall short,” says Heck. “But without the right infrastructure, that potential remains fragmented. With PHARMIGA, we are combining expertise into a large, open network that anyone working in this field can access.”

Four connected areas

The program rests on four closely connected areas of work. First, researchers will map the structure and properties of IgA antibodies in unprecedented detail. Second, they will improve and scale up production methods to manufacture different forms of IgA more efficiently.

Third, the consortium will test safety and effectiveness using advanced laboratory models that closely mimic human tissues. Finally, scientists will develop innovative delivery methods, such as administering treatments through the lungs or nose, and explore mRNA-based approaches that allow the body itself to produce IgA antibodies.

Combining expertise

Masereeuw emphasizes that collaboration is essential. “The challenges surrounding IgA are too big for any single research group or institution. In PHARMIGA, we unite fundamental science, clinical expertise, and technological innovation. That combination is what will truly bring IgA therapies closer to patients.”

Combining fundamental science, clinical expertise, and technological innovation will truly bring IgA therapies closer to patients.

The PHARMIGA network will be open to academic research groups, start-ups, and pharmaceutical companies, creating a shared national infrastructure designed to accelerate innovation.

Advanced testing technologies

A key feature of the project is the use of advanced testing technologies, including organ-on-a-chip systems. These miniature models of human organs allow researchers to better predict how medicines will behave in the body, while also reducing the need for animal testing.

With this investment, we can finally take major steps forward.

According to Heck, the funding marks a turning point for the field. “With this investment, we can finally take major steps forward.”

Masereeuw adds that the ultimate goal is better care for patients. “Countless patients currently receive treatments that are not optimal and do not benefit enough from them. By accelerating the development of IgA-based medicines, we increase the chances that more effective therapies will truly become available.”