Biologics
ADC to Help People with Sickle Cell
Sickle cell disease is a set of genetic conditions where abnormalities in the structure of hemoglobin cause red blood cells to take on a long, curved, sickle-like shape, which can then impede blood flow. Gene therapies may make a huge difference in the lives of...
Nobel Prize Awarded for mRNA Vaccines against COVID
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was announced today, and has been awarded to Drs. Karolin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their “discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19”....
D is for DNase
This year marks 30 years since the approval of the biologic dornase alfa, a recombinant DNA degrading enzyme for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Dornase alfa is a recombinant human deoxyribonuclease I (rhDNase) which selectively cleaves DNA and degrades...
C is for Checkpoint Inhibitors
Immune checkpoints are a normal part of the immune system. They prevent an immune response from being so strong that it destroys healthy cells. Immune checkpoints engage when proteins on the surface of T cells recognize and bind to partner proteins on other cells,...
Ozempic: A Blockbuster Biologic
Semaglutide, the diabetes and weight-loss drug marketed under the names Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus, has gotten a lot of attention recently due to shortages arising from increased demand. Ozempic and Wegovy are both manufactured by the Danish pharmaceutical company...
B is for Biosimilars
A biosimilar, per FDA, is a biologic medication that is highly similar to and has no clinically meaningful differences from an existing FDA-approved biologic, called a reference product. Compared with a reference product, biosimilars: are made with the same types of...
A is for Antibodies
Let’s start our series Biologics A – Z very appropriately with A for antibodies. Antibodies, or more specifically immunoglobulins based on the sturdy mouse and human immunoglobulins of the IgG subclass, are a major biologics workhorse. They have found wide application...
Discovery of cross-protective antibodies against common endemic respiratory viruses
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), and human parainfluenza virus types one (HPIV1) and three (HPIV3) can cause severe disease and death in immunocompromised patients, the elderly, and those with underlying lung disease. A protective...
See you at BPI West
Somatek is attending 2023 BioProcess International US West. The conference takes place from February 27 - March 2 at the San Diego Convention Center under the headline ACCELERATE SPEED TO MARKET FOR YOUR NEXT GENERATION MABS, VACCINES AND CELL/GENE THERAPY PRODUCTS....
CYTOSYS Bioreactor Controller
This post and a huge thank you to David Sergeant and Justin Foox of Ipratech has been overdue for some time. Early last year, Somatek acquired a CYTOSYS control platform for its process development work. Having experience with bioreactor controllers from several other...