PF, SSc Drug Developer iBio Increases iBioModulator Portfolio and Products
A leader in plant-based biotechnology, iBio, Inc. announced a key new U.S. patent, called “Yersinia pestis Antigens, Vaccine Compositions and Related Methods.” It includes plague antigens that work with the Company’s iBioModulator™ thermostable immunomodulator protein. The technology is directed at providing protection against pneumonic plague, which could be used as a potential form of bioterrorism.
Pneumonic plaque is a rare illness that causes severe lung infections. When used as a bioterrorism weapon, it could spread more quickly and be more deadly than bubonic plague.
iBio’s larger portfolio supports development and manufacture of vaccines for plague, anthrax, human papilloma virus, and influenza. The iBioModulator™ thermostable immunomodulator protein technology with vaccines increases immune response strength and duration following vaccination.
Robert Erwin, iBio’s president, stated “The achievements with plague vaccine are just one application of iBio’s core technology — the iBioLaunch™ gene expression platform — that enables advantageous plant-based development and manufacture of monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutics, as well as vaccines.”
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“In its application to seasonal influenza vaccines, the speed of our proprietary technology would allow determination of the identity of each season’s predominant influenza virus to be made substantially closer in time to the flu season, decreasing the opportunities for viral mutation and thereby increasing the likely efficacy of that year’s vaccine and decreasing flu-caused illnesses and deaths. As we pursue our current primary focus using iBioLaunch™ technology for development, manufacture and clinical trials of products against various fibrotic diseases — including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and scleroderma — we also continue our interest and activities to partner with others for the application of iBioLaunch™ technology to vaccines.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has indicated that this season’s influenza vaccine is not as protective as in previous years, due to the predominant viruses being different than what is contained in the vaccine. iBio vaccine technology could reduce the time needed to make influenza vaccines, so selection of the virus strains are more accurate.
iBio has an exclusive, worldwide license to patents and pending patents related to iBioLaunch™ technology. According information taken from the company’s website, “The iBioLaunch™ platform is a proprietary gene expression technology that causes non-transgenic plants to rapidly produce high levels of target proteins.” Plants can be grown and can produce proteins at lower cost than is required for producing proteins in animals or cells. iBio is developing IBIO-CFB03, for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, and other fibrotic diseases using iBioLaunch™ gene expression.
