Boehringer Ingelheim conducted a joint feasibility study with Vectron Biosolutions, testing the Norwegian biotech’s expression technology for high-yield, soluble production of a protein of interest, and has now taken a decision to license the platform to use in both its in-house biopharma pipeline and for customers through its BioXcellence contract manufacturing division.
“Vectron’s technology platform consists of several genetic tools for improvement of microbial expression systems like E. coli.,” B-I spokesperson Inge Homolka told Biopharma-Reporter.com. “These comprise promoter variants, genetic elements to improve transcriptional and translational efficiency and also protein solubility enhancers.“
The system will be implemented at the firm’s microbial facilities in Vienna, Austria, following a tech transfer.
“Boehringer Ingelheim permanently develops and scouts innovative technologies to further strengthen its strong microbial production platform,“ Homolka continued. “Vectron’s technology perfectly complements BI’s technology portfolio for the production of biopharmaceuticals in microbial systems.“
In 2012, the plant received a cash injection to expand its biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing offerig at the site. The same year, the company installed PrEMT - BaroFold’s high-pressure refolding technology for use with difficult to express microbial products - and has since licensed a yeast-based expression system courtesy of VTU.
According to Vectron, its tech uses a highly customizable Pm/xylS expression system and a broad-host-range RK2 minimal replicon to manufacture some of the highest levels of recombinant proteins in E. coli.
“We are pleased that our technology’s potential is being recognized by one of the leading pharmaceutical companies,” said Vectron’s CEO Trond Erik Vee Aune. “With Boehringer Ingelheim’s strong position in the industry, we anticipate that many future biopharmaceutical proteins will be produced using our technology.”