The History of Lipid Nanoparticles
DIANT® Pharma Inc. · Scientific Timeline
The History of Lipid Nanoparticles
From the first liposomes to mRNA medicine — six decades of lipid-based drug delivery, culminating in the first FDA-approved LNP therapeutics.
1964–1965
Liposomes first described
Alec Bangham visualizes phospholipid vesicles by electron microscopy.
1970s
Liposomes proposed as therapeutic carriers
Gregoriadis & Ryman propose liposomes as drug carriers, later shown to entrap both hydrophilic & lipophilic cargo.
1995 First Approval
First FDA-approved liposomal drug
Doxil — first FDA-approved liposomal drug; PEGylation of the liposome extended circulation and reduced toxicity.
2010s
Ionizable cationic lipids
DLin-MC3-DMA enables pH-dependent charge switching for nucleic-acid encapsulation.
2018 First Approval
First siRNA LNP clinical approval
Onpattro (patisiran, Alnylam) — first approved siRNA therapy using an ionizable LNP.
Dec 11, 2020 EUA
First COVID-19 mRNA–LNP vaccine authorized
Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine receives the first EUA for an mRNA–LNP therapeutic.
Dec 18, 2020 EUA
Second COVID-19 mRNA–LNP vaccine authorized
Moderna vaccine receives EUA, confirming the LNP platform at population scale.
Aug 23, 2021 Full Approval
First full FDA approval of an mRNA–LNP vaccine
Comirnaty (Pfizer–BioNTech) receives full FDA approval for ages 16 and older.
2022–Present
Next-gen ionizable lipids & extrahepatic targeting
SORT nanoparticles & Tc-LNP enable extrahepatic mRNA delivery without ligand conjugation.
Aug 5, 2026 First-in-Class
First non-COVID mRNA vaccine approved
FDA approves Moderna’s mFlusiva, the first mRNA–LNP flu vaccine, for adults 50+.