Fujifilm Diosynth supports anti-staph biologic development
Signs contract with ContraFect Corporation in the US
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies and US-based ContraFect Corporation have signed a deal to support the process development and cGMP manufacture of CF-301, ContraFect’s Staphylococcal-specific bacteriophage lysine.
CF-301 is ContraFect’s leading compound and is said to display potent activity against all forms of Staph infections, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant strains (VISA/VRSA).
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ will initially use its pAVEway advanced protein expression technology to establish a high productivity process. This technology is based on a unique set of protein expression plasmids that can incorporate a range of vectors using DNA looping to tightly control protein production at high and reproducible expression levels.
This part of the process will take place at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies site in Billingham, UK.
‘CF-301 is a protein that differs from antibiotics and is effective against all current and potential drug-resistant Staph infections,’ said ContraFect’s chief executive Robert Nowinski.
‘ContraFect has now completed its laboratory research on CF-301 and has moved to pre-clinical development with an eye towards its IND submission in Q2 2012 and our first in man clinical trials later that year.’
