Dowpharma signs fourth deal for Pfenex technology
collaboration agreement for its Pfenex Expression Technology, its
fourth agreement in 1Q 2006, signifying the technology's popularity
in developing new vaccines and biotherapeutics products.
Its commitment is indicative of the changes currently occurring within the biotech industry specifically around mammalian cell culture technology with analysts forecasting a shift from mammalian cell culture technologies to microbial fermentation techniques.
According to Research and Markets, the biopharmaceutical market is predicted to increase from $1.4bn (€1.1 bn) in 2003 to $2.6bn in 2006. The primary driver of this market is mammalian cell culture.
Under the terms of the agreement, Dowpharma is to supply its Pfenex Expression Technology, a Pseudomonas-based technology to Insmed Incorporated to advance the development of Insmed's IPLEX.
Dowpharma will also express two proprietary Insmed proteins that are administered as a single complex, known as IPLEX, using the Pfenex Expression Technology.
The Pfenex Expression Technology is said to produce more protein per reactor than other fermentation systems.
It also extends the range of proteins that can be made by microbial fermentation to include some biotherapeutics that would otherwise require mammalian cell culture.
The expense of the latter - typically around twice the cost of microbial fermentation - means that mammalian systems tend only to be used if no microbial approach can be found.
"With our recent collaborations with VGX Pharmaceuticals, Viventia Biotech and now Insmed, we are experiencing adoption of our Pfenex Expression Technology," said Nick Hyde, global business director, >Dowpharma.
"It is currently being used to manufacture cGMP material that will be used in clinical trials and now we will express currently FDA approved proteins," he added.
Mammalian cell culture is a platform that can be utilised by biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical companies moving into the biopharm space, as well as cell reagent manufacturers and contract manufacturers trying to maintain a competitive edge and meet future trends.
As a contract manufacturer, Dowpharma elected in 2004 not to go ahead with plans to build a mammalian cell production facility at its Smithfield site in the US, which has since been closed, in favour of concentrating on technologies such as Pfenex that can enhance microbial fermentation.
And this decision now seems sensible - given recent market research from Frost & Sullivan, which is predicting an overcapacity in biologics manufacturing out to 2011 - although it goes against the current axiom that CMOs should embrace biopharma as a way to combat the overcapacity and competition hitting pharmachem sector.
