Baxter and GlycoFi will develop new platform for manufacturing human therapeutic proteins
A collaborative programme revealed by Baxter Healthcare Corporation and GlycoFi, Inc., allows Baxter to evaluate the potential of using GlycoFi’s fungal expression platform for the production of human therapeutic proteins.
The announcement comes within a few weeks of GlyoFi’s milestone publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reporting on humanized proteins produced by N-glycosylation using the yeast, Pichia pastoris. See related article
Baxter’s Chief Scientific Officer is upbeat about the way forward to tackling production of many human therapeutic proteins involving complex processes and major capital investments. Norbert Riedel notes that it "may limit the ability of the biotech industry to meet future demands for the production of biopharmaceuticals in the pipeline.” Riedel goes on: “The advances in manufacturing that GlycoFi’s platform presents could lead to a much more efficient production process for human therapeutic proteins, offering benefits across many therapeutic categories.”
The 2-year deal enables Baxter and GlycoFi to collaborate on the development of human therapeutic proteins using GlycoFi’s innovative manufacturing platform based on yeast and filamentous fungi.
Although fungal expression systems can produce basic human therapeutic proteins, hitherto they have been unable to replicate the complex sugar structures on the outside structure of many therapeutic proteins (called glycosylation structures). GlycoFi’s innovative technology is a possible way to overcome this limitation.
Baxter will provide up-front and milestone payments to GlycoFi. Charles Hutchinson, GlycoFi’s CEO welcomed "the opportunity to work with a company with as much manufacturing expertise as Baxter and we look forward to further exploring the true potential of this unique approach." Specific financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Further information about GlyoFi
Keywords : Baxter GlycoFi Collaboration Development manufacturing Humanized therapeutic protein production Glycosylation Biopharmaceutical Fungal expression Pichia pastoris
