PlantForm, University of Calgary research collaboration awarded NSERC Engage Grant
GUELPH, Ont., Nov. 6, 2017—A research partnership between PlantForm Corporation and a University of Calgary scientist has been awarded an Engage Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
The funding will allow Dr. Douglas Muench, Professor of Integrative Cell Biology at the University of Calgary, to study the potential for a novel RNA-binding protein to increase the expression rate of monoclonal antibodies produced in plant cells. The research study will focus specifically on the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab with the goal of developing an enhanced protein expression technology that can be universally applied to any high-value protein of interest.
PlantForm is developing plant-produced trastuzumab as a nerve regeneration drug for acute trauma patients, following research at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, which has shown it to be effective in accelerating the regeneration of peripheral nerves.
“We look forward to collaborating with Dr. Muench to advance our vivoXPRESS® plant technology platform and further strengthen PlantForm’s intellectual property portfolio,” said Dr. Don Stewart, PlantForm’s President and CEO.
"This NSERC Engage-funded collaboration provides my research group with a great opportunity to apply our fundamental research on RNA-binding proteins to the exciting technologies developed by PlantForm Corporation,” Muench said.
About PlantForm Corporation (www.plantformcorp.com)
PlantForm Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the rapid development and production of specialty antibody and protein drugs using the company’s proprietary vivoXPRESS® platform. The plant-based vivoXPRESS ® system makes it easier, faster and less expensive to produce approved biologic drugs for novel indications and new markets. The company’s pipeline includes trastuzumab for a novel indication in nerve regeneration, a biosimilar version of Lucentis® and other niche indication drugs. Learn more. -end-
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