Biovel Life Sciences launches operations in India

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Biovel Life Sciences (P) Limited , an integrated biotechnology enterprise, announces the launch of its operations in India today. The Company is focused on the research, manufacturing and marketing of biogenerics and biopharmaceuticals with initiatives in drug development and bioprocessing. Marking its entry into the bio-pharma manufacturing sector, Biovel has signed a licensing agreement with DowpharmaSM, U.S.A which will enable the company to utilize path breaking Pfçnex Expression Technology™ to produce Human Growth Hormone (HGH) for the first time globally.

 

The company today announced the completion of the first phase of their facility, spread across ten acres and located at Hosakote, Bangalore. The facility in the first phase consists of an  R&D centre , a pilot plant, two independent production lines with 300 L & 100 L fermentors and two independent filling lines with lyophilization.  The pilot plant contains a fully automated 19L Fermentor and has the capacity to produce clinical material and to meet Biovel's initial marketing requirements. The production plant with clean room area of 40,000 sq ft is built in line with stringent USFDA requirements.

 

Speaking on the launch, Mr. P. Sudhakera Naidu, Chairman and Managing Director, Biovel Life Sciences (P) Limited said, "Biovel Life Sciences has been founded with the primary focus of delivering quality affordable health care products to people across the globe. Operating in the areas of Vaccines, Therapeutic molecules, Wound Management and Novel Drug Delivery Systems, the company is  committed to fostering biotechnology innovation and leveraging global technologies to deliver cost effective therapies in India and worldwide. Our mission is in the path of developing "Biosimilars to Biosuperiors" 

 

In line with its commitment to deliver global quality affordable healthcare products Biovel has signed a licensing agreement with US based DowpharmaSM for its Pfçnex Expression Technology™ to produce Human Growth Hormone (HGH). 

 

Dowpharma has already developed a high-yield production strain and bench scale process for the production of HGH. Dowpharma will prepare and transfer to Biovel a Research Cell Bank and the bench scale process. This technology is based on specially modified strains of Pseudomonas fluorenscens bacteria and consistently outperforms other microbial systems. By improving quality and boosting yields of difficult-to-express proteins, the technology accelerates speed to market for vaccines and biotherapeutics, and reduces costs when compared to alternatives.

 

"Using the Pfçnex Expression Technology^TM platform, we were able to develop a very cost effective process for commercial-scale production of Human Growth Hormone," commented Nick Hyde, Global Business Director, DowpharmaSM. "Accelerating speed to market and reducing costs associated with drug development is a top priority for Dowpharma, and this agreement underscores our ability to deliver on that commitment."

 

Elaborating on the collaboration, Dr. Durgaprasad Annavajjula, Director- Technical, Biovel Life Sciences (P) Limited said, "Pfçnex Expression Technology™ is recognized in the industry for delivering economical and practicable solutions, and we are delighted to partner with Dowpharma in bringing this technology to India. With this collaboration, Biovel will be the first company to produce HGH and market it at an affordable price, globally. Our team of research scientists will enable us to efficiently advance this project, including scale-up, pre-clinical testing, clinical testing, manufacturing and global marketing."

 

Dr. Durgaprasad added, " Biovel has a multidisciplinary research & development centre with fully equipped modern infrastructure coupled with highly qualified and accomplished scientists who have made significant contributions in the field of biotechnology. The state-of-the-art pilot plant at Hosakote, Bangalore is ready to produce Typhoid, HiB vaccines and recombinant proteins like EGF and Streptokinase. Biovel is also actively pursuing the development of molecules in segments of Oncology, Dermatology and Gynecology."

  

Sourced From:  Torque Communications Pvt Ltd