IDT Biologika, a Germany-based CDMO specializing in vaccines, gene and immune therapy, and oncolytic viruses, and Exothera, a CDMO in Belgium, agreed to collaborate on the development of a large-scale manufacturing process for viral vector-based vaccines. The feasibility study is focussing on Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus as a first example for IDT’s range of vector technologies.
Exothera reports that it has successfully transferred IDT Biologika’s upstream process from small- to large-scale using the NevoLine™ upstream platform developed by Univercells Technologies. The NevoLine system incorporates the scale-X™ structured fixed-bed bioreactor system, which offers a range of options to scale viral production from R&D to commercialization, according to Exothera. The collaboration between IDT and Exothera is designed to demonstrate the application and increased performance of the NevoLine platform at full commercial capacity.
“At Exothera we’re excited to be working collaboratively with IDT Biologika to leverage Univercells Technologies’ novel manufacturing platforms to design a high-quality, and cost-effective commercial process for the viral vector-based industry,” said Romain de Rauville, vice president of business development at Exothera.
“Viral vaccines have been receiving special attention since the launch of COVID vaccines,” added Simone Kardinahl, PhD, senior vice president of development at IDT Biologika. “However, they had already been important for many vaccine programs in the past. IDT Biologika has a strong track record in development and manufacturing of vaccine candidates, and this is why our researchers are continuously looking for options to further optimize our processes in terms of quality and efficiency.”
