iBio, Inc. (OTCBB:IBPM) announced today that it has agreed in principle
to license its technology, the iBioLaunch™ platform, and provide
technology transfer services to G-Con, LLC, a private Texas company, and
its affiliates, for the development and manufacture of plant-expressed
influenza vaccines at a new facility being constructed in Bryan, Texas.
The “GreenVax Project” will show proof of concept for a large-scale
vaccine production facility using Nicotiana plants grown
hydroponically in a contained environment. In contrast to current
methods of production, the iBio green plant technology platform holds
the promise of shortening vaccine production from months to weeks and
allowing rapid response to newly emerging viruses not possible with
conventional vaccine technology. Although the Project’s initial goal is
to produce candidate H1N1 vaccines, iBio’s technology is highly
adaptable to other influenza strains, other infectious diseases, as well
as cancer.
“This is a landmark new technology that could dramatically increase the
nation’s capability to produce vaccines for infectious diseases,
including influenza”
The iBioLaunch platform, the enabling technology for the GreenVax
Project, was developed by the Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular
Biotechnology. The technology has been successfully applied to a wide
range of vaccine and therapeutic targets, and in addition to the
investments made by iBio, has attracted funding from the U.S. government
and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“The iBioLaunch technology with its rapid response capability provides a
valuable alternative to traditional vaccine production systems,” said
Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of the Fraunhofer USA Center for
Molecular Biotechnology. “The GreenVax Project is a significant step
towards practical implementation of the iBioLaunch technology.”
“This is a landmark new technology that could dramatically increase the
nation’s capability to produce vaccines for infectious diseases,
including influenza,” said Dr. Brett Giroir, vice chancellor for
research of the Texas A&M University System. Texas A&M is a member of
the GreenVax consortium.
“The flexibility of the plant-based system, combined with its low cost
and ability to massively scale, may provide vaccine protection not only
to citizens of the United States, but also to many parts of the world
that cannot currently afford vaccines,” said Dr. Barry Holtz, President
of G-Con.
“We expect vaccines against influenza, including seasonal influenza, to
be among the earliest applications of the iBioLaunch technology,” said
Robert Kay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of iBio. “In the new
GreenVax facility, G-Con’s modular production technology should
significantly enhance the economy, speed and flexibility advantages of
our system for application to a broad range of biologic products.”
Research and development for the GreenVax Project will occur on a
secure, 21-acre site on the campus of the Texas A&M Health Science
Center in Bryan, Texas. There will be a custom-designed,
145,000-square-foot bio-production facility that is being constructed by
G-Con. The facility has been optimized to achieve the goals of this
project, yet remains expandable as required without interruption of core
operations. The projected final scale capacity of the facility is 100
million doses per month. Although there are currently no approved
plant-based flu vaccines, a clinical development program for influenza
vaccines produced with the iBioLaunch platform is underway.
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