SAFC Biosciences and ProBioGen AG Announce Co-Marketing Agreement for Media Development and Cell Line Engineering
St. Louis, MO, USA, and Berlin, Germany, 01 November 2005
SAFC Biosciences, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group (Nasdaq: SIAL) and ProBioGen have announced a worldwide, non-exclusive agreement, under which SAFC Biosciences will market ProBioGen’s cell line engineering services for the development of high-titer cells for production of biotherapeutics. This agreement will expand SAFC Biosciences’ process development offering for biopharmaceutical markets and expand ProBioGen’s global sales marketing coverage.
ProBioGen is an internationally recognized specialist for cell line development, viral vectors and the manufacture of glycoproteins. Combined with the use of novel, inactivation-resistant promoters, ProBioGen's careful vector design and sequential double selection strategy, allows the development of clone pools with high average cell-specific productivity. When combined with SAFC Biosciences’ expertise in mammalian cell culture media development, total volumetric productivity can be achieved beyond what is currently attainable utilizing the individual technologies.
SAFC Biosciences offers biopharmaceutical companies integrated services ranging from novel vector production to media optimization.
"The agreement with ProBioGen will provide our customers with access to state-of-the-art technology, offering clear, competitive advantage through the development of cell lines and cell culture media which achieve significantly greater amounts of protein than current technology," said Bruce Lehr, SAFC Biosciences.
Michael Schlenk, CEO of ProBioGen commented, "This collaboration with the leading biopharmaceutical service provider, SAFC, is a significant strategic move for ProBioGen in intensifying our international market presence. By expanding our service spectrum with the media development capabilities of SAFC, ProBioGen we will enhance the customer benefits in achieving highly efficient and cost-effective biopharmaceutical production."
About Sigma-Aldrich
Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific and genomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical and other high technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 35 countries and has over 6,800 employees providing excellent service worldwide. The Company is committed to Accelerating the success of its Customers through leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning web site at sigma-aldrich.com.
SAFC Biosciences provides support for biopharmaceutical drug development from preclinical and clinical development to commercialization. Created by the recent acquisition of JRH Biosciences, SAFC Biosciences develops, manufactures and markets cell culture reagents and services targeted for commercial firms involved in developing and producing biopharmaceuticals using cell culture methods.
About ProBioGen
ProBioGen is a German biotechnology company founded 1994 as a spin-off from the university hospital Charité in Berlin. ProBioGen offers services in the research and production for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at its certified cGMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), multi-purpose production facilities. The range of products and services includes the development of highly productive cell-lines, the production of glycoproteins for R&D and clinical testing, as well as the production of viral vectors and antibodies for in vitro diagnostics. The Company is specialized in mammalian cells and combines the know-how of molecular biology scientists with the experience of experts in cell culture technology and process engineering. ProBioGen thus accompanies its clients from the early development of lead candidates up to late phase clinical development.
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to future performance, goals, strategic actions and initiatives, and similar intentions and beliefs and other statements regarding the Companies’ expectations, goals, beliefs, intentions and the like, which involve assumptions regarding the Companies’ operations and conditions in the markets they serve. The Companies’ do not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.