The two Israeli companies will cooperate in testing the feasibility of production of 3 therapeutic proteins belonging to Compiogen
The biotechnology company Ivogene, which develops biotechnological methods for cultivating plants, announced today that it signed an agreement with Compugen, a genomics company for diagnosis and drug discovery and diagnostics, to test the feasibility of producing 3 therapeutic proteins belonging to Compugen, on the unique platform of Ivogene Plant Made Pharmaceutical – PMP.
As part of the agreement, Compugen will provide the information on the 3 sequences of the therapeutic proteins included in the project. These proteins were discovered using Compuogen's sophisticated model systems and powerful computerized discovery engines. These proteins were validated in "wet" biological research in Compuogen's own laboratories. Evogene will test the possibility of creating these proteins, using a unique platform based on the utilization of natural plant tissue to create proteins.
The use of DNA sequences and their understanding with the help of advanced technologies has resulted in a significant breakthrough in the development of biopharmaceutical products in the field of cancer, autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Over 90 proven new drugs have been approved by the FDA since 2000 and over 1,000 protein-based drugs are in various stages of development. About 200 to 300 of them are in an advanced stage of clinical trials.
Today, the most accepted method to create proteins and other biological products is the use of mammalian cells that produce the proteins in fermentors. This production process is expensive and complex. It is characterized by a long development time to create a minimal amount of protein and the industrialization of production (producing protein in commercial quantities requires an additional time of 3-5 years). The initial cost of setting up a factory that meets the required standards is high and ranges between 250 and 500 million dollars, and in addition the ongoing production costs are also high.
The use of plants that have undergone genome changes to create human proteins is an area that arouses great interest in the industry, and quite a number of companies are trying to develop a plant platform for this purpose. Creating humane proteins in plants has a great economic value and quality advantage, including the reduction of health risks in diseases characterized by cells originating from mammals such as mad cow disease and other diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B. Additional advantages of this method: required initial capital and low operating expenses, quick and cheap transition to create quantities Commerciality and great flexibility in the production process.
In addition to these general advantages of producing proteins in plants, the unique platform developed by Evogin addresses the two main limitations of the platforms developed and currently offered by the companies operating in this field: the extraction of the protein from the plant and its concentration, so that at the end of the protein purification process, the amount that remains will be of economic value. The uniqueness of Ivgin's platform comes from the fact that it is based
on the use of specific plant tissue which naturally produces natural protein in a high concentration, and allows
Easy production process and efficient concentration of the protein from the plant tissue. Another important advantage is that the platform was designed so that all the plants required to produce protein in commercial quantities grow in a closed and protected environment to prevent contamination of the plants.
Ofer Habib, CFO & COO of Evogene said: "We are pleased with the opportunity to develop and present our ability to create human proteins on a plant platform while focusing on the production of Compuogen's proteins, whose commercial potential is real."
About Eugene
Ivogene is a pioneer in providing biotechnological solutions to the limitations of classical cultivation methods, with the aim of creating new agricultural products and fine crops in an economically efficient way. This is done by merging computational technologies, plant molecular genomics, with advanced classical cultivation methods. The result is a platform that yields improved plants and plant-based products.
Eugene ID card:
Year of establishment: 2002
Field of activity: agricultural biotechnology
Products under development: cotton with improved fiber quality and quantity, resistance to abiotic stresses in various plants, improvement in nitrogen utilization and a platform to create proteins for the pharmaceutical industry.
Number of employees: 20
Founders: Dr. Hagai Korchi and Dr. Rafi Meisner
Officials: Dr. Hagai Korachi - CEO, CPA Ofer Habib - COO and CFO, Dr. Rafi Meissner - VP R&D
R&D Center: Rehovot
