Arecor awarded TSB grant to support expanded protein stability platform

Arecor Limited has been awarded a prestigious Technology Strategy Board (TSB) grant to apply its proprietary technology for developing stable formulations of protein drugs.

Many of the next generation of protein drugs are often unstable and difficult to manufacture and maintain efficacy in storage. This grant will enable a collaboration that will refine Arecor’s formulation tools to address challenges such as chemical degradation and heat stability in protein drugs for enabling new drugs, making self-administered drugs easier to use and facilitating distribution in emerging markets with limited cold chain.

Arecor will collaborate with Manchester University's Centre of Excellence in Biopharmaceuticals utilizing their robotics platform and Arecor’s patented formulation tools to expand Arecor’s proprietary database of protein-excipient interactions. Excipients are chemicals that maintain an environment that prevents the drug from degrading. This work will provide Arecor a significant advantage in designing formulations of drugs to meet the most demanding specifications.

Advisors on the development of this new technology that will improve healthcare provision to the third world and reduce the environmental burden of cold-chain provision include PrismTC, statistical consultants, Unilever and major pharmaceutical companies.

The formulated products market in the UK is worth around £180 bn a year. The competition is part of TSB’s commitment to invest up to £5m in feasibility projects and collaborative research and development to accelerate the development of new ways of designing, improving and manufacturing complex high-value formulated products in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, detergents, food, agrochemicals, paints, adhesives, lubricants and formulated process chemicals. A further £1m is available for collaborative research and development from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

 

About Arecor

Arecor, backed by Unilever Ventures, aims to pioneer and develop dramatically better delivery forms for proteins & biological therapies.

Our novel approach to formulation design has been built upon fundamental new insights into the way proteins and vaccines degrade during storage, at high concentration or in the presence of ionizing radiation.

We have partnered with the world’s largest pharmaceutical and biotech companies to enhance the commercial value and practical utility of many different types of proteins, and in many different applications such as vaccines, therapeutic proteins, or proteins used in medical devices.

We are based in the Cambridge Science Park which gives us access to cutting edge research and development through our strong ties to Cambridge University. Arecor has a highly talented team with a variety of expertise including protein formulation and analysis, manufacture and regulatory approval.

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For more information contact  kelly.mepham@arecor.com

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