Sevion Forms Pact with Malvern

Sevion Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and acquires next-generation biologics for the treatment of cancer and immunological diseases, has entered into an agreement with Malvern Instruments establishing a new biopharmaceutical applications laboratory in the heart of San Diego’s biotechnology cluster.

The new laboratory will enable Sevion Therapeutics and customers of Malvern the experience and use of Malvern’s range of specialist biophysical characterization systems in a working biopharmaceutical environment.

Under the terms of the agreement, several different Malvern analyzers will be installed in the applications laboratory. Initially, this will include two microcalorimeters—the new MicroCal PEAQ-ITC and a MicroCal VP-Capillary DSC; a Viscotek TDAmax multi-detector size exclusion chromatography system; and a Zetasizer Nano ZSP for the measurement of size, electrophoretic mobility of proteins, zeta potential of nanoparticles and surfaces, and optionally the microrheology of protein and polymer solutions. Further protein characterization technologies from Malvern’s portfolio will be installed at future dates.

“This venture provides a great opportunity for Sevion Therapeutics to access the latest biophysical measurement techniques and to help shape future developments,” said Dr. Jim Graziano, chief technology officer, Sevion Therapeutics. “Malvern will provide extensive training and continuing support to our teams, and we will benefit both from having extended access to high value instrumentation and from Malvern’s technology and applications expertise. We’re especially excited to be adding differential scanning calorimetry to our armory and to being among the first to use the new MicroCal PEAQ-ITC system.”

“As evidenced by the work of our Bioscience Development Initiative team, Malvern is absolutely committed to providing cutting edge analytical instrumentation that meets the needs of the biopharmaceutical industry,” said Paul Davies, global business manager, Malvern Instruments. “We work very closely with all parts of the pharmaceutical industry but the highly dynamic nature of biopharmaceutical development and the rapid pace of change make it imperative that we have a fully functioning applications laboratory in an environment where there is access to real-world protein formulations and where our instruments sit within the workflow of a commercial enterprise.”

MicroCal PEAQ-ITC is the recently launched, new-generation isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC) from Malvern. ITC has become an essential technique in drug discovery and development and the new system is designed to deliver the enhanced functionality and robust performance now required. Its guided workflows with embedded help videos and advanced data analysis software make the system ideal for generating high quality data within a multiuser environment.

This new biopharmaceutical applications lab in San Diego adds to the list of Malvern applications laboratories in all major territories around the world, underpinning Malvern’s commitment to supporting customers in all industries and all geographies.