The new enzymes – which include collagenases, nucleases and proteases – are certified “xeno-free” - meaning that they contain no non-human animal products. This minimizes the risk of contamination by prion diseases or mammalian viruses according to Worthing.
Company vice president Jim Zacka said: “The use of animal free enzymes eliminates many of the quality and regulatory issues and concerns associated with enzymes commonly purified from animal sources.”
He added that: “The demand for safer enzymes and biopharmaceuticals has led Worthington to develop an array of Animal Free (AF) enzymes for biomedical research and related bioprocessing applications.”
Worthing makes its enzymes at its ISO 9001 Certified facility located in the Lakewood, New Jersey, deriving them from fungal and bacterial sources.