Viragen Reports Advancement in Avian Transgenics Biomanufacturing

Anti-cancer Antibody Expressed in Rooster

21-Feb-2005

Viragen, Inc. announced an advancement in its program to develop avian transgenic biomanufacturing for the purpose of using chickens as bioreactors for the efficient and economical production of human pharmaceutical protein-based drugs in their eggs.

Viragen, in collaboration with Roslin Institute and Oxford Biomedica PLC, reported that an antibody designed to treat malignant melanoma (anti-GD3 antibody) has been successfully detected in the blood of a founder transgenic rooster after the antibody was introduced using a proprietary gene delivery system. This achievement is the first in a series of steps designed to confirm that a humanized antibody can be produced in subsequent generations of chickens and demonstrate a fully intact structure capable of its intended therapeutic function.

Project Leader, Roslin's Dr. Helen Sang, explained, "We have previously demonstrated that a reporter gene can be synthesized in the oviduct of laying hens, the source of egg white proteins. The significance of this new milestone is that we are now using a humanized anti-cancer antibody, which has been incorporated into the bird's DNA."

In other avian transgenic-related news, it was announced that a scientific article has been published in Drug Discovery Today (Volume 10, Number 3, February 2005). The article, titled "Transgenic chickens as bioreactors for protein-based drugs", reports on significant advances to develop avian transgenics.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/43590/viragen-reports-advancement-in-avian-transgenics-biomanufacturing.html