- Merck to use KBio’s plant-derived recombinant aprotinin for three years
LONDON, October 21, 2024 – KBio, one of the leading developers of new biological treatments derived from a plant-based production system, and Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a three-year supply agreement with KBio to produce recombinant aprotinin, which is produced in Nicotiana benthamiana using the Company’s proprietary plant-based platform. Merck will be using aprotinin for expanding the animal free offerings of inhibitor products to their research customers.
Aprotinin, or bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, is a potent serine protease inhibitor that requires intricate folding to form an active and highly stable conformation. Aprotinin’s protease inhibitory activities are highly attractive and broadly used in a wide variety of in vitro applications. For example, aprotinin is widely used to improve recombinant protein recovery during cell fermentation, preserve protein and peptide integrity in complex biological samples such as blood, stabilize biological sutures and three-dimensional scaffold structures for tissue growth, and enhance stem cell growth in vitro while maintaining pluripotent potential. The availability of animal-free, high-activity and consistently sourced aprotinin will serve these existing markets while promoting more innovative use of this protease inhibitor in a variety of in vitro and cell-culture applications.
“We’re delighted to enter this agreement and supply Merck with aprotinin, developed utilizing our novel plant-based platform,” said Barry Bratcher, cofounder and acting chief executive officer at KBio. “Our engineering process allows us to produce high-quality proteins in an unprecedented 8-10 weeks using our vertical grow towers. Our cost-effective approach requires lower space, water, and energy consumption. We look forward to supporting Merck on their important work.”
There is an increased demand for animal free products and this partnership with KBio is part of Merck’s strategy to move away from animal sources.
About KBio
KBio aims to create a new generation of biologics using its plant-based platform, which has demonstrated the ability to create drug candidates at a fraction of the time and cost of conventional platforms. The Company is focused on discovering and developing monoclonal antibodies targeting validated pathways for immunological diseases and due to the speed and accuracy of its antibody production system, is positioned well to develop fast follower therapies against validated drug targets. KBio’s plant-based platform also has unique capabilities for addressing public health challenges where rapid development and large-scale production of vaccines and other bioactives are critical. Through a third-party partner, the Company is working with several health organizations that are funding its public health-specific pipeline.
Formed in December 2021, KBio is a subsidiary of BAT with operations in the UK and U.S. For more information, please visit www.kbio.com.
KBio Media Contact
Andrew W. Mielach
LifeSci Communications
amielach@lifescicomms.com