Pfenex, SAFC In Strategic Pact

Pfenex Inc. has entered into a non-exclusive strategic partnership with SAFC, a unit of the Sigma-Aldrich Corp., under which Pfenex will engineer production strains and processes for SAFC’s contract manufacturing customers. The developed processes will then be transferred to SAFC’s fermentation facility in Jerusalem for cGMP production. The two companies also plan to work together to combine Pfenex’s Reagent Proteins product offerings in the area of vaccine components with SAFC’s expertise and facilities for bioconjugation to support development of conjugate vaccines.
    
“Our partnership agreement with SAFC combines a cutting edge expression technology and a broad offering of vaccine components with a world class contract manufacturing services provider, facilitating the speed and reliability with which important new drugs can be brought to patients.” said Dr. Bertrand Liang, chief executive officer of Pfenex.

“Providing our customers access to Pfenex’s expression system is a valuable addition to our complex technology portfolio,” said Mark Cassidy, vice president of SAFC’s Contract Manufacturing Services. “This alliance reinforces SAFC’s commitment to bringing our customers the latest technological solutions in the advancement of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.”