PlantForm and SwiftPharma announce new global licensing agreement
Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company licenses PlantForm technology to develop plant-made antibodies, proteins and vaccines for global markets
GHENT, Belgium and TORONTO, Canada, Oct. 31, 2023 – Canadian biopharmaceutical company PlantForm Corporation and Belgium-based SwiftPharma have signed a licensing agreement that gives SwiftPharma access to PlantForm technology and know-how to develop, manufacture and commercialize new drugs for global markets.
SwiftPharma is a leading innovator in the development of recombinant proteins derived from plant-based manufacturing systems. The five-year agreement grants SwiftPharma a non-exclusive, royalty-bearing, worldwide license to PlantForm’s vivoXPRESS® platform technology to develop new products and provide contract services to third-party clients.
“This agreement provides a tremendous opportunity for both companies to advance plant-made solutions to meet the demand for effective, affordable drugs all over the world,” said Dr. Don Stewart, PlantForm’s President and CEO.
The licensing terms include PlantForm's patented KDFX line of Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The KDFX line supports production of proteins for therapeutic use which present negligible levels of potentially immunogenic plant-specific glycans. This innovation overcomes a major challenge for using plant-based systems to produce therapeutic proteins: it ensures that these products do not trigger an immune response in humans.
Also included is PlantForm's novel, patent-pending technology for enhancing yields of plant-based proteins by suppressing Argonaute1 and Argonaute4 post-translational gene silencing, which further extends the capabilities of the core platform.
Jeroen Hofenk, SwiftPharma’s founder and Chief Science Officer, said the agreement brings together scientific kindred spirits on a mission to reinvent the way life-saving medications are made.
“PlantForm’s technology significantly expands SwiftPharma's molecular toolbox. Together we are opening a new era in plant-based biomanufacturing that will yield sustainable, scalable and affordable healthcare solutions,” Hofenk said.
“SwiftPharma and PlantForm's strategic alliance marks a significant step forward in our shared mission to revolutionize the way life-saving medications are produced. Together, we are forging a path towards equitable access for all, including the less fortunate. It is business imperative, and the right thing to do,” said Johan Van Havermaet, SwiftPharma's co-founder and COO.
The global licensing agreement further builds upon the relationship established through a strategic collaboration between SwiftPharma and PlantForm subsidiary AntoXa Corporation to develop and commercialize a plant-made monoclonal antibody against ricin exposure.
About SwiftPharma (swiftpharma.eu)
SwiftPharma is a Belgium-based privately held biotechnology company dedicated to developing next generation, animal-free, and affordable recombinant proteins by transforming plants into mini bioreactors. The company is on a mission to bring a paradigm shift to multiple industries by serving as a bridge between high unmet industry needs and the significant advances being made in sustainable biomanufacturing. For more information, visit www.swiftpharma.eu.
About PlantForm Corporation (plantformcorp.com)
PlantForm Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the low-cost production of high-value antibody and protein drugs and vaccines using the proprietary vivoXPRESS® plant-based manufacturing platform. The vivoXPRESS® plant expression system produces biologic drugs at a significantly reduced cost compared to standard mammalian cell systems. The platform is fast (drug production in as little as six weeks), versatile and easily scalable. PlantForm’s pipeline features an innovative antidote to ricin exposure, and biosimilar versions of the brand name biologic drugs Lucentis® and Keytruda®. Learn more.
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For more information, please contact:
Don Stewart
President and CEO, PlantForm Corp.
don.stewart@plantformcorp.com
+1 416-452-7242
Stacey Curry Gunn
Director of Communications, PlantForm Corp.
stacey.curry.gunn@plantformcorp.com
+1 519-827-1131