Canada-based Phyton converted the thapsia garganica plant, from which thapsigargin is derived, into a fermentable cell line.
Thapsigargin is used to produce 12ADT, which is the active component of an investigational prodrug called mipsagargin that is being developed for the treatment of cancer by US biotechnology firm Inspyr Therapeutics.
The ability to synthesise the compound in culture will be of benefit to Inspyr spokesman, Tim Tennant, who told us the higher yields will be used to support further clinical development and commercial supply.
Mipsagargin has been studied in a Phase II trial in patients with liver cancer and has been granted Orphan Drug designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in this indication.
Tennant also confirmed Phyton will supply Inspyr for trials and, if mipsagargin is approved, commercial production.
API production via fermentation
Phyton’s approach is to harvest undifferentiated cells – called callis – from source plants.
These cells are the screened to identify high producing lines that can be grown in cell culture.
The technology has been applied to the production of paclitaxel, for which Phyton was granted a Certificate of suitability to European Pharmacopeia (CEP) in 2012.
The firm claims to produce 500kg of paclitaxel each year at its facility in Vancouver.