selexis.com, 10
July 2006
Selexis to Collaborate
with Alpha Biologics on Mammalian Cell Line Development
Alpha Biologics to use Selexis’ SURE Technology
Platform to Develop Therapeutic Proteins for Pre-Clinical,
Phase I and II Clinical Trials
Geneva, Switzerland – July 10, 2006 – Selexis
SA, a Swiss-based biotechnology company specializing
in high yield and stable cell line development for therapeutic
proteins, announced today that it has entered into a
cooperative agreement with the Malaysian-based contract
manufacturer, Alpha Biologics Sdn Bhd, to develop cell
lines using the SURE technology platform. Under the
agreement, Alpha Biologics will have access to Selexis’
SURE engineered cell lines and expertise.
The SURE technology platform enables fast, stable and
high yield cell lines that produce proteins and antibodies
for a rapidly growing class of medicines known as biopharmaceuticals.
“We believe the SURE technology platform will
provide significant benefits to Alpha Biologic’s
customers,” said Dr. Igor Fisch, CEO, Selexis
SA. “Our SURE engineered cell lines will help
Alpha Biologics deliver therapeutic proteins for use
in pre-clinical, Phase I and II clinical trials to their
customers significantly faster and more cost effectively.
In addition, this agreement is the first step of our
strategy to enter into the Asian market.”
Selexis’ SURE technology platform, which includes
the patented MARtech™, is a unique technology
that improves the speed, yield and stability of production
cell lines used for therapeutic protein manufacturing.
Based on proprietary human MAR (Matrix Attachment Region),
MARtech™ enables cell population generation in
just four weeks (after transfection) and stable cell
line development in five weeks (after transfection to
first round of cell cloning). Additionally, MARtech™
has been found to significantly increase recombinant
protein expression in mammalian cells in suspension
and in serum-free up to twenty fold.
“The SURE technology platform’s ability
to generate high yield cell lines with significantly
higher production and secretion rates in just a few
weeks will help us deliver protein therapeutics to our
customers faster, thereby helping to achieve Alpha’s
objective of reducing the time and cost of our clients’
drug development programmes” said Simon Saxby,
CEO, Alpha Biologics. “Additionally, by removing
the need to license several expression and cell line
technologies, our customers will realize further significant
cost advantages.”
About Selexis
Selexis is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated
to the development of innovative technologies and expert
services. Selexis offers comprehensive and rapid solutions
for the development of stable, high yield mammalian
cell lines used in recombinant protein manufacturing.
The Company’s unique SURE technology platform,
which includes Selexis’ forth generation patented
MARtech™, reduces traditional cell line development
(DHFR) from 12 months to 5 weeks (after transfection
to isolating cell clones) without any change in the
scale-up process. For more information please visit
http://www.selexis.com
About Alpha Biologics
Alpha Biologics is a privately held cGMP compliant contract
manufacturer of mammalian cell secreted biologics for
use in pre-clinical and Phase I - III clinical trials
for the global market. Alpha specializes in master and
manufacturing cell bank generation, process development
and cGMP production and purification in a new state-of-
the-art 5,000m2 US FDA design reviewed facility. For
more information please visit http://www.alphabiologics.com |
