SwiftPharma and AntoXa to present plant-made anti-ricin antibody technology to NATO expert panel
SwiftPharma, a Belgian biotechnology company active in the field of Plant Molecular Farming for the production of biopharmaceuticals, and AntoXa Corporation, a Canadian biopharmaceutical company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical agents, have been invited to present to the NATO Biological Defense Medical Expert Panel (BIO DEF MED) on Sept. 19 in Tournai, Belgium.
The BIO DEF MED meetings, which take place Sept. 16-20, focus on countermeasures for natural and manmade biological agents, including ricin, a naturally occurring protein from the castor-bean plant that is extremely toxic to humans when inhaled or injected.
SwiftPharma and AntoXa will provide the panel with an update on their development and commercialization of a plant-made antibody against ricin exposure.
“The technical presentation is an excellent opportunity to provide the panel with detailed information about the patented process for manufacturing the PhD9 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment for ricin exposure,” said Jeroen Hofenk, Founder and CSO of SwiftPharma.
The process for manufacturing PhD9, which uses the plant-based vivoXPRESS® platform, was developed by AntoXa under license from Defence Research & Development Canada (DRDC). The process is patented in Canada and the United States. AntoXa has an exclusive license from DRDC to develop and produce PhD9 for global markets.
AntoXa has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with SwiftPharma to accelerate advancement of the drug in European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) markets. SwiftPharma will use their state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing facility in Belgium to produce PhD9 for clinical trials and commercial sale.
“Our plant-based manufacturing platform addresses the need for cost-effective production of antibody drugs for a variety of applications, including antidotes for ricin and other potential bioterrorism threats,” said Dr. Don Stewart, CEO of AntoXa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PlantForm Corporation.
Ricin is listed as a Category B threat agent by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention due to its ease of production, worldwide availability, relative stability and extreme lethality. It acts very quickly and leaves a short window for administering therapeutic antibodies.
There is currently no approved antidote for ricin poisoning. The PhD9 antibody drug candidate prevents ricin from penetrating cells. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies conducted by DRDC and other independent agencies found the plant-made version of the antibody showed therapeutic efficacy against ricin intoxication.