Horsholm, Denmark, November 8, 2017 – Today, ExpreS2ion Biotechnologies ApS (“ExpreS2ion”), a fully owned subsidiary of ExpreS2ion Biotech Holding AB, announces that University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, has signed a Research License Agreement granting University of Pennsylvania the right to conduct research using ExpreS2ion’s proprietary protein expression system, ExpreS2.
The Research License Agreement
The Research License Agreement grants University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, the right to conduct research using ExpreS2ion’s proprietary ExpreS2 system for one year. ExpreS2ion and University of Pennsylvania are not disclosing any terms for the Research License Agreement.
The Expres2 Platform
ExpreS2ion specialises in solving the toughest protein expression challenges using a fully optimised Schneider 2 (S2) system, based on Drosophila (fruit fly) cells, a set of proprietary protein expression vectors, as well as other components. Our highly experienced scientists are specialised in developing cell lines and processes based on our stable S2 protein expression system, ExpreS2. One of the advantages of ExpreS2 is that it is very robust, meaning that cell lines and processes developed using ExpreS2 are highly reproducible. Another advantage is that high yields can be obtained quickly from polyclonal pools without tedious cloning, which is often needed when using mammalian cells. The platform perfectly supports all phases of drug discovery, R&D and manufacturing and S2 cells have been in use for decades in research and clinical trials by a number of companies and research institutions. ExpreS2ion’s scientists have optimised the S2 protein expression system since year 2000 to its current sophistication and established the proprietary ExpreS2, which was made commercially available in 2010. It has been widely used to produce many hundreds of different proteins of which some have entered clinical trials. As an example, in October 2016, ExpreS2ion’s collaboration partner, the Jenner Institute of the University of Oxford, initiated a Phase I/IIa clinical study to assess the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria antigen RH5.1, which was enabled and produced with ExpreS2.
Research and commercial licenses to ExpreS2 are available and we aim to position ExpreS2 as an early stage process- and production tool for customers and collaboration partners, as well as researchers in academic institutions.