The project is expected to be managed by Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB) pursuant to the long-term agreement between iBio and CMB for advancement of the iBio technology.
Additionally, iBio and CMB have developed a new biologics production platform based on the use of green plants to manufacture vaccines and therapeutic proteins. The technology has been successfully applied to a variety of candidate products, including an avian influenza vaccine planned to be the first product to enter a human clinical trial in 2010.
Robert Kay, chairman and CEO of iBio, said: “We believe this program will further demonstrate the ability of our technology to produce novel products rapidly, effectively and economically.”
Vidadi Yusibov, executive director of CMB, said: “We are confident in our ability to deliver on the objective of this contract. We expect to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a one-shot vaccine in animal tests in preparation for clinical development.”