iBioLaunch™ Technology Successfully Applied to Modified C1 Inhibitor

NEWARK, Del., Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- iBio, Inc. (NYSEAMEX: IBIO) today announced that it successfully used its proprietary iBioLaunch technology to produce full length as well as a modified form of C1 esterase inhibitor in green plants.

Plasma-derived C1 esterase inhibitor is an Orphan Drug approved by the FDA to treat or prevent the symptoms of hereditary angioedema (HAE), an inherited disorder caused by low levels of C1 esterase inhibitor that causes swelling of the face, hands, feet, throat, stomach, bowels, or sexual organs. Annual global sales of HAE treatments are expected to exceed $1 billion as new treatment options penetrate the market. Additionally, C1 esterase inhibitors are the subject of multiple research programs investigating their potential use in the treatment of other inflammatory diseases.

iBio expects the properties of its iBioLaunch-produced C1 inhibitors to be useful in the treatment of HAE and other inflammatory disorders and expects to partner the products for clinical development as part of its commercial collaboration and licensing strategy.

C1 esterase inhibitor is a protease inhibitor involved in regulation of the complement pathway.  The expression of recombinant C1 esterase inhibitor in plants using the iBioLaunch expression platform was undertaken to provide an alternative to the current method of production that involves purification from human donor plasma.  Although therapeutic proteins purified from human plasma are tested for the absence of known pathogenic viruses, recombinant production of such proteins in a plant system that does not utilize any animal products can further reduce risk.

"These results continue the successful application of iBio's technology for the production of therapeutic proteins in plants, and further confirm the flexibility and speed of this technology when applied to difficult-to-express proteins," said Dr. Terence Ryan, iBio's Senior Vice President. "The efficiency of our technology enables us to simultaneously evaluate both 'bio-similar' and 'bio-better' versions of important protein biologics."

iBio previously announced production of full-length C1 esterase inhibitor and has now produced a truncated version that retains full enzyme inhibition activity, but eliminates the need for potentially difficult and expensive post-translational modifications of the full-length protein.  Production of a form with reduced post-translational modification also results in a more homogeneous product that may provide clinical benefits and ease regulatory concerns.  

About iBio, Inc.

iBio develops and offers product applications of its iBioLaunch™ platform, providing collaborators full support for turn-key implementation of its technology for both proprietary and biosimilar products. The iBioLaunch platform is a proprietary, transformative technology for development and production of biologics using transient gene expression in unmodified green plants. The technology has been applied successfully to proteins difficult or impossible to produce with other methods, as well as proteins representative most important classes of biologic pharmaceuticals. Advantages of the iBioLaunch platform over other systems include enablement of rapid development and validation of modular, scalable, and optionally robotic, multi-product manufacturing facilities; production time measured in weeks instead of months or more; product entry that is unconstrained by traditional process patents; and significantly lower capital and operating costs for comparable production. Further information is available at: www.ibioinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included in this news release related to iBio, Inc. may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties such as competitive factors, technological development, market demand, and the Company's ability to obtain new contracts and accurately estimate net revenues due to variability in size, scope and duration of projects. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect the Company's financial results can be found in the company's Reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts:

Corporate:

Robert Erwin, President
iBio, Inc.
302-355-2335
[email protected]  

Investor:

Douglas Beck, CFO
iBio, Inc.
302-355-0923
[email protected]  

SOURCE iBio, Inc.