Ajinomoto Althea Launches Corynex Platform

Ajinomoto Althea, Inc. has launched a protein production platform, Corynex, to produce secreted, soluble, properly folded proteins from microbial fermentation. The company has recently finalized the production process for a therapeutic protein scheduled to enter a Phase I trial using the platform to scale up production from test tubes to small scale fermentation. The Corynex platform, based on the bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum, secretes proteins into the cell culture supernatant in active form with minimal host contaminants, according to the company.
 
A yield of approximately 1 gram per liter was achieved, despite the difficult nature of the protein, and column chromatography purification achieved a purity of greater than 98%, according to the company.
 
“We are extremely pleased to have successfully and fully demonstrated the Corynex platform process here in San Diego. With the addition of Corynex, we are now offering an even more complete suite of solutions to our customers from process development through clinical manufacturing for a very wide variety of recombinant proteins,” said Kristin DeFife, director of biologics manufacturing at Ajinomoto Althea.