TollereBio, a biotech startup that spun out of UMB, is dedicated to bringing accessible, cost-effective vaccine adjuvants to market. The company is working to commercialize the bacterial enzymatic combinatorial chemistry (BECC) platform, a patented UMB technology that TollereBio licensed in February 2024. Robert K. Ernst, PhD, the Dr. Paul and Mrs. Jean Corcoran Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) and Distinguished University Professor, invented the core BECC technology platform in his pursuit to develop a unique approach to produce and optimize vaccine adjuvants for improved preventive and therapeutic efficacy. Preclinical studies have shown that the adjuvants generated using the BECC platform enhance vaccine response and extend protection against deadly pathogens when compared to the current adjuvants. Notably, four BECC adjuvants have been highlighted by the Vaccine Adjuvant Compendium established by the NIAID Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation.

TollereBio’s leadership – which includes Dr. Ernst, founder and scientific advisory board chair; Charles Richardson, PhD, founder, president, and chief executive officer; and Hans Lien, founder and chief operating officer – continues to partner with UMB to advance the BECC technology.