MilliporeSigma Offers Insect Platform for Viral Vaccines and Gene Therapy Development

On Oct. 10, 2018, MilliporeSigma is collaborating with GlycoBac, a Laramie, WY-based biotechnology company specializing in genetically engineered insect cells for manufacturing vaccines, diagnostics, or therapeutics, to offer a Sf-9 insect cell line.

According to the companies, GlycoBac’s development of a proven rhabdovirus-negative (RVN) cell line enables MilliporeSigma to offer the first Sf-9 platform that combined a rhabdovirus-free insect cell line with a corresponding, chemically defined cell culture medium. This will be the first non-mammalian cell line in MilliporeSigma’s cell culture portfolio, the company reports. The technology allows for access to a safer, high-performing vehicle for recombinant protein expression, virus-like particle vaccines, and adeno-associated-virus-based gene therapy production.

The insect cell line will provide time and cost savings in analytics and validation, and speed development by circumventing process steps normally required to prove elimination of rhabdovirus, according to the companies. In addition, MilliporeSigma’s chemically defined hydrolysate-free medium addresses consistency concerns while also reducing overall variability in growth and productivity.

MilliporeSigma’s insect cell line extends the company’s upstream offerings for viral-vaccine and gene-therapy applications and complements its mammalian CHOZN platform. The Sf-RVN platform will be available for purchase from a cGMP cell bank in 2019.

Source: MilliporeSigma