AGC Biologics , a leading provider of biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced its partnership with AdaptVac. The partnership was formed to jointly develop and manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine. AdaptVac is developing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine together with its PREVENT-nCoV consortium partners funded by the EU initiative Horizon 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is constantly evolving, and AdaptVac’s Virus-Like-Particle (VLP) technology could offer a solution to protect against new SARS-CoV-2 infections.
AdaptVac’s technology enables the accelerated development of a COVID-19 vaccine, and subsequently a possible early start of related clinical trials in late 2020. Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) represent a significant advance in the development of subunits Vaccines, since this technology can combine high safety with good effectiveness. The particulate nature and the dense structure of the subunits make them an ideal framework for vaccine antigens.
“We firmly believe that our capsid-based virus-like-particle-display technology will be a key player in global emergencies such as the COVID-19 epidemic, and have targeted AGC Biologics as our trusted development partner and production of this vaccine. We are grateful to AGC for contributing to COVID-19 vaccine development, as this additional support will allow us to tackle vaccine production in a shorter timeframe, “said Wian de Jongh, CEO of AdaptVac .
“The urgency to design and manufacture a vaccine against COVID-19 couldn’t be greater,” said Patricio Massera , CEO of AGC Biologics. “We are honored to be working with AdaptVac and to be part of the consortium that does so developing an efficient vaccine. We value partnership-based cooperation and are convinced that the only way we can fight the pandemic is through cooperation. ”
About AdaptVac:
AdaptVac is committed to accelerating the development of safe and effective therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines as treatment and prophylaxis for specific cancers, infectious diseases and immunological disorders. AdaptVac ApS is a joint venture between ExpreS2ion Biotechnologies ApS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ExpreS2ion Biotech Holding AB, listed on NASDAQ First North, and the spin-out company NextGen Vaccines ApS of the University of Copenhagen. The aim of the joint venture is to establish itself as a top-class organization for the development of competitive vaccines and therapeutic agents against infectious diseases, cancer and immunological disorders. The combination of ExpreS2 technology for protein expression in insect cells with the unique know-how in the field of virus-like-particle (VLP) technology from NextGen makes AdaptVac a strong and versatile player in the field of new vaccines and immunotherapies.
About AGC Biologics:
AGC Biologics is a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that aims to provide the highest level of service to customers and partners. The company currently employs more than 900 people worldwide. AGC Biologics’ global network spans three continents with cGMP compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington ; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; and Chiba, Japan .
AGC Biologics offers in-depth industry knowledge and unique, customer-specific services for the scale-up and cGMP production of protein-based therapeutics, from preclinical to commercial production for mammalian and microbial cells. The integrated range of services includes plasmids (GMP pDNA), the development of cell lines and bioprocesses, formulations, analytical tests, the development and conjugation of antibody drugs, cell banking and storage as well as protein expression – including the patented CHEF1® expression system for production in mammalian cells.
