SAFC Launches CHOZN ZFN-modified CHO Cell Lines to Enhance Speed of Bioproduction

SAFC®, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich® Group today announced the launch of the first offering in a product line of Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN)-modified Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines.

Designed for use in the production of biopharmaceuticals, the CHOZN® cell lines are expected to enable customers to reach the market faster and more cost-effectively by reducing timelines commonly associated with early stage biological drug development. The distinctive features of the cell lines should appeal to organizations looking to build a robust and comprehensive therapeutic protein and monoclonal antibody manufacturing platform. Visit the company article page for additional information on the CHOZN cell lines.

SAFC, a leading provider of custom raw materials and process development services for the biopharmaceutical industry, leveraged its expertise and experience with biopharmaceutical production workflows to engineer the CHOZN series of cell lines to be therapeutic protein manufacturing hosts.

“The CHOZN cell lines have complete traceability and are expected to enable our customers to bring their therapeutic candidates to market more quickly,” said Bruce Lehr, SAFC Director of Cell Sciences and Development. “The cell line is robust, and has regulatory-friendly features that we believe will save them time and money.”

As part of the first offering of its dynamic cell line series, SAFC is releasing the CHOZN DHFR-/- CHO line for use in the production and manufacture of biological drugs. The DHFR-/- CHO line was developed through CompoZr® ZFN mediated gene editing of the dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) locus in a robust, extensively characterized and fully documented CHO-K1 host. The new CHOZN® DHFR-/- CHO line allows process development scientists to use any common dhfr expression system for the selection and amplification in a fully traceable CHO-K1 background.

“One of the core areas of focus for SAFC is investing in the development of expertise across emerging technologies that both differentiate us in the marketplace and deliver tangible benefits that support customers in the development of next-generation therapeutics,” said Lehr.