Novozymes Biopharma Signs License Agreement with GE Healthcare to Produce and Sell Protein A

Novozymes Biopharma UK Ltd., part of Novozymes, world leader in bioinnovation, today announced a newly signed license agreement with GE Healthcare Life Sciences. This license enables Novozymes Biopharma to produce and deliver native, animal-free protein A using GE Healthcare technology. Novozymes Biopharma’s protein A, which is now commercially available, is targeted to customers involved in the production of chromatography media.

Protein A is produced by Novozymes Biopharma AB in Sweden using both GE Healthcare’s proprietary technology and production strain. The protein is the active component in chromatography media used in the production of antibodies. Novozymes’ protein A can then be used to purify antibodies in drug production and bio-chemical analysis applications.

In nature, the microorganism, Staphylococcus aureus utilises protein A to bind antibodies in order to hide itself from the immune system when invading the body. The ability of protein A to bind to antibodies has been used successfully at industrial scale for several years to produce monoclonal antibodies that are used as drugs in the treatment of illnesses such as arthritis and cancer.

The ability to purify antibodies has been an essential tool in many of the advances made in biotechnology. The purification is performed using chromatographic techniques, where recent advances allow production of the antibodies in large quantities.

Caspar Foghsgaard, Strategic Product Director, Novozymes Biopharma, comments, “We are delighted to have secured this license agreement with GE Healthcare which will result in rapid growth of our protein A production.” Caspar Foghsgaard continues, “We are already filling up our stock capacities with raw materials and the final product to deal with the demand for this exciting product that we have now started selling.”