CEVEC And Beckman Research Institute Of City of Hope Enter Into A Cooperation And License Agreement On CEVEC's Proprietary CAP(R)GT Technology

COLOGNE, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH (CEVEC), the expert in the production of tailor-made recombinant glycoproteins and gene therapy vectors, today announced a collaboration agreement with Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope ("Beckman Research Institute") on CEVEC's proprietary CAP(R)GT technology.

“The ability to produce fully scalable lentiviral and RCA-free adenoviral vectors positions CAP(R)GT as the technology of choice to address the increasing need for industrial scale vector production. So far, this demand could not be efficiently addressed by conventional expression systems such as HEK293.”

Under the terms of the agreement, CEVEC will grant Beckman Research Institute a non-exclusive license for the production of lentiviral and adenoviral vectors using CEVEC's CAP(R)GT technology. Beckman will offer CAP(R)GT-derived lentiviral and adenoviral therapeutic vectors to support phase I and II clinical trials of clinical investigators, while CEVEC will provide the relevant licenses. Financial details of this agreement were not disclosed.

"Beckman Research Institute is one of the largest and most important research institutes in the US with numerous ongoing programs focused on oncology, diabetes and HIV/AIDS and recognized as the nation's premier academic biologic manufacturing facility. We are delighted to combine our expertise with such a prestigious partner to jointly build a strong offering in the fast growing field of gene therapy applications", commented Frank Ubags, Chief Executive Officer of CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH. "The ability to produce fully scalable lentiviral and RCA-free adenoviral vectors positions CAP(R)GT as the technology of choice to address the increasing need for industrial scale vector production. So far, this demand could not be efficiently addressed by conventional expression systems such as HEK293."

With its CAP(R)GT cell lines, CEVEC provides a novel platform for the industrial scale production of viral vectors for gene therapy applications. Growing in serum-free suspension culture, CAP(R)GT provides outstanding production capabilities and high cell densities allowing for easier scale-up and reduced production costs when compared to adherent cell culture systems including HEK293.

About CEVEC:

CEVEC is a global solution provider for the production of biopharmaceuticals using a unique human cell-based expression system.

The CAP(R)GT expression platform provides a fully scalable, regulatory endorsed production system for gene therapy vectors. CAP(R)GT cells grow to high cell densities and show a broad viral propagation spectrum including lentivirus (LV), adenovirus (AV) and adeno-associated virus (AAV). Furthermore, CAP(R)GT enables easier scale-up and reduced production costs when compared to adherent cell culture systems.

CEVEC's CAP-Go expression platform comprises a portfolio of glyco-optimized human suspension cell lines for tailor-made glycosylation of recombinant proteins. The cells are highly efficient for the production of a broad range of difficult to express glycoproteins and provide authentic human post-translational modifications. CAP-Go has proven to enhance the activity, stability and serum half-life of several candidate proteins.

Research collaborations with international pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners followed by licensing agreements for the technology form one revenue base for CEVEC. In addition, the Company provides contract manufacturing for the GMP production in CAP(R)Go and CAP(R)GT cells.