Paragon wins NIH Contract for Design & Scale-up Manufacturing of rhE-Selectin Protein

BALTIMORE, Nov. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Paragon Bioservices has been awarded a contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to design and establish a scale-up manufacturing process for the cGMP production of the recombinant human rhE-selectin protein.

The potential application of E-selectin in the clinic is based on the role that the compound plays in coordinating and responding to the immune system's activation and resulting response.  NIH-NINDS research on E-selectin has been done by John Hallenbeck, MD, Chief of the NINDS Stroke Branch and a senior investigator in the Institute's Clinical Investigations Section.  Dr. Hallenbeck's laboratory is studying the cellular regulation of ischemic tolerance and inflammatory and immune mechanisms in the initiation and progression of stroke.

E-selectin control of molecular inflammation may help prevent thrombosis and hemorrhage and result in a new strategy for the prevention of recurrent strokes.  Despite the current conventional use of antithrombotic drugs for the prevention, 10 percent of patients who experience any cerebral ischemic event will still go on to have a stroke within 90 days.

According to Paragon CEO Marco Chacon, PhD, "The Paragon team is happy to be a part of the process development and cGMP manufacturing of E-Selectin, a novel biologic of great clinical significance."

ABOUT PARAGON BIOSERVICES, INC.

Paragon Bioservices is a Contract Manufacturing Organization whose focus is the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals—including the production and purification of therapeutic proteins, monoclonal antibodies, viral vectors, vaccines, and VLPs; cell banking, process development, research services and analytical testing.  Paragon's cGMP space includes microbial and mammalian suites, fill-finish, and fully-segregated virus and BSL-3 facilities.

ABOUT NIH-NINDS

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts and supports research on brain and nervous system disorders, such as stroke, epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease.  NINDS is one of the more than two dozen research institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, an agency of the Public Health Service within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Media Contact:

Debbie James
Paragon Bioservices, Inc.
Ph (410)975-4050

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SOURCE Paragon Bioservices, Inc.