Innova launches 'conjugation compatible' antibody purification system
Like other downstream systems, the AbPure Magnetic Purification launched this week by Innova comes prepacked with Protein A magnetic beads.
Protein A is often deemed to be the gold standard in monoclonal antibody capture resin, but while such systems are good at removing contaminating proteins, they introduce chemicals that can cause problems surrounding compatibility between purification and conjugation processes.
“The purification procedure using protein A was developed in the early 1970’s, predating the widespread use of primary antibody conjugates, thus the needs of conjugation scientists were not necessarily uppermost in the thoughts of those developing purification procedures.” Innova’s CEO Nick Gee told Biopharma-Reporter.
“Moreover there are very few chemicals used in purification that meet the requirements of both purification and conjugation scientists.”
Currently antibody conjugate makers must undergo a secondary step to remove interfering chemicals introduced during the purification procedure, following the removal of contaminating proteins using a protein A-based system.
But according to Gee, Innova’s new system has “completely re-engineered the reagents used in antibody purification procedures so that the final purified antibody can be used in any conjugation procedure.”
As well as drugmakers, Innova is targeting the platform towards anyone who needs to attach a label – an enzyme, dye, particle, fluorescent protein, etc - to a purified antibody. “This includes researchers, companies selling antibody conjugates, and companies selling products that contain conjugates,” said Gee.
Protein A contract for Purolite
In further downstream news this week, Welsh Protein A resin maker Purolite has struck a deal to work with the UK’s Centre for Process Innovation – a government funded model aiding small and mid-sized biomanufacturing firms to develop products and bioprocesses through a £38m National Biologics Manufacturing Centre.
CPI will perform, in partnership with an unnamed biopharma firm, an evaluation study of Purolite’s Praesto agarose-based Protein A chromatography range of resins. The study will also use analytical assays supplied by PerkinElmer.
Just last week, CPI inked a long-term deal to license cell lines from UK-based gene editing firm Horizon Discovery.
