ARTES and NL join in a strategic collaboration and co-marketing alliance

ARTES, specialized in recom-binant protein production and process development from yeast expression systems and the US based company NL Biotech-nologies, owner and specialized in certain tech-nologies for production of vaccines and diagnostic proteins started a strategic collaboration.

With signing this collaboration agreement the two companies combine their know-how and technologies in yeast expres-sion, process and vaccine development. The direct and noticeable aim is the marketing of efficient and cost effective vaccines and diagnostics proteins. The first product that is available right from the start is a Hansenula polymorpha derived Hepatitis E vaccine. Proof-of-principle and animal studies (mice and macaques) have been done and shown very good result and high immune answers.

“The Hepatitis E transmission is a person-to-person one, normally triggered to the fecal-oral route. Infections occur because of consumption of contaminated water and ingestion of raw or uncooked food – therefore it is a disease most common in developing countries,“ Vitaly Granovskiy, managing director of NL carried out. And Dr. Michael Piontek, managing director of ARTES added, ”With the Hepatitis E process we have another reliable and cost-efficient VLP-based production process in our portfolio. Like for HepB and avian flu, the manufacturing costs for this vaccine are low because of the effective technology behind. In our mind, it should be an inter-esting process particular for developing countries. “

The partners are now looking for companies to out-license the process.