AmProtein Achieves Mammalian Expression Breakthrough for Industrial Use

    /24-7PressRelease/ - CAMARILLO, CA - August 1, 2007 -AmProtein Corporation has discovered a novel mammalian expression vector that has achieved protein expression levels of 30 to 60 picograms per cell per day after only one stable gene transfection. This level of protein expression has never been achieved. The discovery of this proprietary vector has the potential to speed up drug development pipelines and reduce research costs dramatically. "The vector was constructed according to a common mechanism for high gene expression in eukaryotic cells", explains Chief Scientist, Matthew Hui, MD, PhD of AmProtein.

AmProtein has developed an effective non-bubbling oxygen transfer method for mammalian suspension culture bioreactors. This method is better than the sparging oxygen transfer method in that it is completely free of shear force, it rapidly maximizes dissolved oxygen, it avoids bubble burst-related cell damage, and it does not require the use of cell-toxic pure oxygen. Based on this novel oxygen transfer method, various types of single-use plastic bag bioreactors can be employed using ambient air as the gas supply. The AmProtein production system is ideal for high-density CHO cell suspension culture as well as for cell culture application to embryonic and adult stem cells. "This platform is scalable from bench to manufacturing and it makes current industrial bioreactors obsolete", said Dr. Hui. "The AmProtein discovery will impact the design of next-generation bioreactor systems beyond the pioneering work done by other single-use plastic bag-based bioreactors".

AmProtein has applied its expression system for the rapid production and subsequent development of dual-domain drug product candidates, the next intellectual property frontier in biologics. "By simply fusing two existing protein drugs together, we can create a new chemical entity capable of blocking two independent disease pathways," said Hui. "A new frontier in drug discovery has emerged". Using the ultra-efficient protein production platform, AmProtein has validated several dual domain protein drug candidates in small animal and nonhuman primate models. The dual domain drugs hold the promise of revolutionary therapies for cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and metabolic disease.


About AmProtein Corporation:
AmProtein was established in 2002 by former Amgen scientists with strong expertise in the field of mammalian gene expression, large-scale protein production, purification, regulatory issues, and patent and business law. AmProtein is located in Camarillo, California, 40 minutes north of Los Angeles. AmProtein has revolutionized protein manufacture through use of two important proprietary systems:

1) The strongest mammalian gene expression vector set known to date, and
2) Single-use plastic bioreactors with a shear force-free novel oxygen transfer method.

AmProtein has developed first-in-class dual-domain protein therapeutics with superior efficacy and longer half-life to address large unmet medical need. AmProtein owns valuable patents covering all of the above technologies (WO2006/043972, WO2005/021578, WO/2007/018619, WO2006/138143, PCT/US2006/37468, PCT/US2007/14488). AmProtein seeks partnerships for the transfer and out-licensing of these technologies and patents. Co-development opportunities for several dual domain drug candidates are available. AmProtein conducts cost-effective nonclinical studies and clinical trials in China for proof of concept and further clinical development in US.

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