Joint licensing agreement to commercialize ready-to-conjugate vaccine carrier protein CRM197 will enable rapid development of conjugate vaccines
Klosterneuburg, Austria, and Rockville, MD, 29 October 2024: VALANX Biotech (VALANX), a biotech company developing novel technology for site-specific protein conjugation in drug and diagnostics discovery, and Fina Biosolutions LLC (FinaBio), experts in conjugate vaccine development and conjugate chemistry, announces the signing of a joint IP and licensing agreement. The companies will launch ClickCRM™, a ready-to-conjugate version of CRM197, an antigenic carrier protein used for making conjugate vaccines. The new product enables the rapid, high-efficiency conjugation of carrier proteins to polysaccharide antigens for the generation of conjugate vaccines.
Conjugate vaccines, such as the pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines, have improved efficacy against bacterial infections compared with polysaccharide vaccines. Their enhanced immunogenicity is achieved through the conjugation of polysaccharide antigens to protein carriers. Using synthetic biology, FinaBio and VALANX have created ClickCRM, a product that will enable the precise conjugation of antigens to the widely used carrier protein, CRM197. ClickCRM has defined conjugation sites generated via the incorporation of synthetic amino acids compatible with third-generation click chemistry.
Associated IP will be jointly owned. Under the commercialization agreement, VALANX will produce ClickCRM using its upstream platform technology to incorporate its proprietary synthetic amino acid which harbors a unique chemical group for conjugation. FinaBio will complete the production of ClickCRM using its proprietary purification and formulation methods for CRM197. FinaBio will be responsible for the marketing and commercialization of ClickCRM.
ClickCRM is now available for purchase through FinaBio, along with their existing portfolio of research and GMP-grade carrier proteins.
"The development of ClickCRM demonstrates the functionality of our platform technology for accurate site-specific protein modification, whether for vaccines or therapeutics,” said Michael Lukesch, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at VALANX Biotech. “Combining our platform technology with FinaBio’s proprietary, patented method for expressing and purifying CRM197 allows us to achieve high protein expression levels and excellent incorporation of our non-natural amino acid. This technological advancement will allow vaccine developers to implement ClickCRM in a cost-effective manner to ultimately deliver acceleration and affordability in conjugate vaccine development.”
Andrew Lees, Chief Executive Officer at Fina Biosolutions, added: “Conjugate vaccines represent an effective form of immunization for bacterial infections where the antigen induces a weak immune response. We’re pleased to offer this new product to our customers that will allow them to rapidly produce new conjugate vaccine candidates.” Andrew continued: “FinaBio has been a leader in developing technologies to simplify the manufacture of conjugate vaccines, making these complex vaccines more affordable. By allowing precise, defined conjugation, ClickCRM will meet current quality expectations of regulatory agencies. It is a welcomed addition to our other carrier proteins, including EcoCRM™ (CRM197). It has been a pleasure to collaborate with VALANX Biotech to develop this exciting new product.”
To learn more about ClickCRM, visit https://finabio.net/overview-of-carrier-proteins/
