Frost & Sullivan Recognizes MicroProtein Technologies for its Path-Breaking Production Technology for Recombinant Proteins in Bacteria

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the recombinant expression systems market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes MicroProtein Technologies with the 2012 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation for the development of its proprietary MPTxpress technology that provides a cost-effective production method for pharmaceutically and diagnostically relevant recombinant proteins, along with the highest percentage of yield in the industry. This technology is particularly promising as a production method for biosimilars, biobetters, and biotherapeutics.

While employing fermenters for the production of recombinant proteins in bacteria has been a widely accepted practice for two decades, it has limitations in terms of required environmental conditions, storage space, and percentage yield.

"The bacterial expression system remains the most preferred choice for recombinant protein expression in the industry due to its versatility and capability to produce homologous, as well as heterologous proteins," explained Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Ipshita Chakraborty. "It is, therefore, necessary to have a production platform that can circumvent the challenges posed by fermenters and liquid media, while increasing the current yield ratio."

MicroProtein Technologies' MPTxpress has achieved these objectives and has the potential to become the standard production protocol for bacterial expression in this $2 billion market. The platform uses a solid media to produce higher yields of the total soluble protein. In addition to significantly reducing procedural steps for obtaining and extracting purified protein, the solid media platform is biodegradable. This makes it the first completely green recombinant biologics production process in the industry and it leaves behind a considerably lower carbon footprint.

Further, MPTxpress provides a rapid, reliable, and repeatable scale-up production process that reduces production costs for the companies producing recombinant biologics. The expression platform is highly suitable for the production of novel vaccines or biopharmaceuticals, as well as recombinant proteins and enzymes for use in industry and research.

Significantly, MicroProtein Technologies extends its services as a contract manufacturing partner and also offers its contract research services in the development of a number of biologic components using the MPTxpress platform. These include proteins for functional studies, antigens for antibody production, therapeutic proteins and antibody fragments for preclinical and concept studies, and reagent proteins for the development of diagnostics.

"Traditionally, the production protocols are proposed by the company developing the biologic," noted Chakraborty. "In this case, MicroProtein Technologies is offering value-added services as well as its technical expertise for the use of its cost-effective technology."

The MPTxpress platform is protected under patents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, being the first technology of its kind to provide such a high-yield percentage with efficacy as well as environmentally friendly features.

"Overall, this young company and its unique technology and service proposition has the potential to be the only contract-manufacturing partner providing end-to-end solutions for recombinant protein production," concluded Chakraborty. "The high-yield percentage, robustness, and repeatability of MicroProtein Technologies' MPTxpress platform make it a versatile production platform that can be used across multiple application sectors from vaccines and biopharmaceuticals to recombinant protein expression for research laboratories."

In recognition of its pioneering technology platform that has the capacity to be a focus for both customers and technology investors, MicroProtein Technologies is the worthy recipient of the 2012 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award in the North American recombinant protein expression systems market.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated uniqueness in developing a technology that significantly impacts both the functionality and the customer value of new products and applications. The award lauds the relevance of the innovation to the industry.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About MicroProtein Technologies

MicroProtein Technologies Inc. (MPT) is a privately owned dynamic and young biotechnology company. MPT is the first company to produce recombinant biologics on an industrial scale without employing the conventional fermentation process. Utilizing its proprietary process (MPTxpress), MPT has managed to design a robust solid media based platform process which surpasses conventional fermentation process as a reliable way to produce recombinant biologics. MPTxpress has the added advantage of higher yields, lower production costs, reduced culture volumes, minimal up-stream and down-stream processing, reduced wastewater, and drastically eliminates the need of expensive and often unreliable equipment. The MPTxpress process is scalable from R&D studies to industrial production.  MPT aims to lead the industry in the production of recombinant biologics (proteins/enzymes/plasmid DNA) for use in biotechnology, diagnostics, biopharmaceuticals, veterinary medicine, and non-clinical academic purposes.

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SOURCE Frost & Sullivan