NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – ProteoNic and Oxford Expression Technologies today said they have expanded a prior agreement to grant OET a license to use ProteoNic's UNic translation enhancing elements.
OET will use the technology in its flashBAC system for third-party recombinant protein production services. As part of the deal, ProteoNic, based in Leiden, The Netherlands, will provide technical support. Financial terms include upfront payments and royalty payments of an undisclosed amount.
Under the two firms' earlier collaboration, ProteoNic's UNic technology was combined with UK-based OET's flashBAC system for the enhancement of recombinant protein yields in insect cells. In addition to improving the overall efficiency and reducing costs, UNic facilitates clinical and preclinical development of biopharmaceutical products, which because of unacceptable production levels could otherwise be thrown away, the companies said.
As a result of today's deal, OET's manufacturing services will include UNic technology.
"The combination of the unique UNic technology and the flashBAC expression system has already proved itself to have a positive effect on eukaryotic protein expression," Rory Woodhouse, sales manager for OET, said in a statement. "This new agreement will enable us to build on our partnership and experience with ProteoNic, working together to provide a superior platform for our customers with more challenging to express proteins."