Refine Technology And Wuhan Institute Of Biological Products Announce Vaccine Collaboration

* Agreement to focus on process and yield improvements
* One vaccine to enter clinical trials in 2012
* Future expansion possible dependent on milestones

Pine Brook, NJ - Refine Technology, LLC (Refine), the developer and worldwide supplier to the biotech industry of the ATF(tm) System, a best-in-class cell retention device, and Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, part of SinoPharm (Wuhan), the leading vaccine manufacturer in China, today announced a collaboration to improve the yield and reduce the cost of vaccine manufacturing using the ATF(tm) System.

Many vaccine production processes require the use of microcarriers (such as GE Healthcare's Cytodex(tm)) to support growth and culture of adherent cells in a bioreactor.  The adherent cells serve as host for growth of a biologically active vaccine component. Producing vaccines in culture can be complex and expensive.*  The goal of the collaboration is to simplify and optimize the production process and reduce its complexity and risk, with resulting increase in vaccine yield and significant cost reduction.

To address a rapidly growing vaccine market and the increasing demand for better locally produced medicines, biomanufacturing facilities in China are modernizing at a swift pace.  The demand for the market leading ATF System is increasing every year along with the switch in focus from large stainless steel plants to smaller, highly productive, flexible facilities.

Utilization of the ATF System in a biomanufacturing facility is increasingly viewed as a required standard to ensure productivity is maximized.
“Wuhan has some fantastic scientists pushing the boundaries in vaccine development and manufacture,” explained John Bonham-Carter, Vice President of Business Development for Refine, “We’re excited to work together on a new process to allow these vaccines to be manufactured reliably at large scale and with a reduced cost.”
The collaboration initially covers a single vaccine entering clinical trials this year and both parties may in the future expand the collaboration. The vaccine candidate and the financial details were not disclosed.

*Culturing cells with microcarriers requires multiple inefficient steps, including wash, media exchange, varying feed procedures and harvest. The use of microcarriers offers both advantages and challenges; the former includes the ability to culture unique adherent cells in suspension; additionally, the properties of microcarriers can facilitate cell growth and handling. However, controlling costs can be challenging.

About Refine Technology
Refine Technology develops and commercializes equipment for the enhancement of cell culture processes. Its ATF System, which scales for use in the laboratory through to commercial manufacturing, has a range of use from simple culture maintenance, to generation of “extreme” cultures, to complex vaccine manufacturing. Refine Technology is dedicated to quality, customer support and providing solutions to a rapidly evolving biopharmaceutical industry. Based in New Jersey, USA, Refine Technology distributes and services its products worldwide through its network of highly trained sales and support personnel.

About Wuhan Institute
The Wuhan Institute is one of six Institutes in the China National Biotech Group (CNBG), which is a subsidiary of China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (SINOPHARM). As the first manufacturer of vaccines and blood products in China and with 6 Biological Products Institutes in house, we have been devoted to the research, development, production and supply of biological products since 1919. The development of CNBG Corporation represents the history of Chinese biological products industry. In the past century, we made great contribution in China’s endeavor of eradiating smallpox, eliminating polio, reducing the incidence of various serious infectious diseases, supplied billions of doses of vaccines and therapeutic biological to the country, thus, safeguarding the health of the world’s largest population.