Articles By Ed Miseta

11. Albumin Addresses Need For Better And Longer-Lasting Drugs

    A recent article in the Wall Street Journal addressed the most recent research and technologies in pharma that are making drugs more efficient. One protein that is leading the advancements in this area is albumin.  

    The albumin developed by Novozymes makes it possible to produce better and longer lasting drugs. The development started more than 20 years ago in Nottingham, UK, when the Bass Brewery was seeking novel ways to generate value from its waste yeast. To do so, it established a company to assess the feasibility of making albumin from brewer’s yeast. The brewery eventually sold off the company, and Novozymes has since acquired the technology. Novozymes now produces albumin for a number of pharmaceutical companies, although the process currently uses a more efficient yeast developed by Novozymes rather than brewer’s yeast.