Under the terms of the license, Octapharma can use BAC’s G-CSF CaptureSelect® custom affinity ligand for the purification of recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) from human (HEK293F) cell cultures. Existing G-CSF products are marketed as Filgrastim (E.coli derived), and Lenograstim (CHO derived). This license follows success in an earlier collaboration (the feasibility study program), in which BAC discovered and developed the anti-G-CSF ligand in close collaboration with Octapharma.
This custom-designed affinity chromatography media enables Octapharma to rapidly setup a production process for this recombinant protein as it decreases valuable time needed for down stream process development. More traditional methods used include a range of conventional chromatography steps resulting in a lower recovery of the overall process compared to using affinity chromatography.
“The team here at BAC are delighted to have delivered a second custom-made CaptureSelect affinity ligand for Octapharma,” said Dr Laurens Sierkstra, CEO of BAC. “This further success confirms the reliability of the CaptureSelect platform to consistently produce highly specific affinity ligands for the purification of any protein.”
“The start of this collaboration with BAC, in G-CSF, came from the success with our previous collaboration to develop a ligand for the purification of factor IX and the use of a BAC-derived ligand for affinity purification of recombinant factor VIII (the product is currently in clinical trials),” said Kim Björnstrup, Vice Chairman of Octapharma Group. “Our aim is always to provide safe products of the highest purity, and BAC’s ligands are a key part of our purification process.”
G-CSF is a hormone that stimulates bone marrow to produce white blood cells and stem cells, and has therapeutic uses in oncology and haematology. Octapharma will produce G-CSF for use primarily within the field of oncology, for example after chemotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation.
About BAC
BAC BV offers a wide range of products and services for affinity purification of biological materials from complex media. The Company’s proprietary CaptureSelect® affinity ligands, based on Camelid single chain antibody fragments, have been proven to be suitable in a wide range of biological applications including Life Science Research and Biomanufacturing. BAC’s CaptureSelect ligands are available through the Company’s custom design service, or as off-the-shelf bioprocess products through commercial partners. CaptureSelect ligands for research applications are available direct from BAC through the Company’s web shop.
CaptureSelect® ligand technology is based on selection of single chain antibody fragments with desirable chromatographic characteristics including robustness, high specificity and flexibility. Suitable ligands are cloned and expressed in high-titres through an animal-free Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based process.
BAC BV was established in 1995 as a Unilever subsidiary. Currently the Company employs 37 people with an R&D laboratory facility in Leiden and a state-of-the-art ISO 9001 certified manufacturing plant in Naarden, the Netherlands. For more information about BAC, visit our website at www.bac.nl. For more information about CaptureSelect® products, visit our website at www.captureselect.com
About Octapharma
The Octapharma Group is an independent, Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company operating worldwide. Octapharma’s core business is the development, production, and sale of high-quality human proteins for the treatment of life-threatening diseases.
The Group has more than 4,000 employees in 28 countries, and owns five modern, state-of-the-art production facilities in Austria, France, Germany, Sweden and Mexico, respectively.
Octapharma’s company mission is to provide safe and effective biopharmaceutical products derived from human cells or blood plasma to patients in need of lifesaving therapy.
For more information about Octapharma, visit our website at www.octapharma.com.
Media enquiries Anastasios Koutsos, Adam Michael, College Hill BAC@collegehill.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7866 7856
