Diosynth Biotechnology signed an agreement with VGX Pharmaceuticals for process development activities and cGMP production of clinical trial material for their biological drug candidate VGX-100 for the treatment of cancer.

VGX has developed technology using specific viral proteins that can induce selective apoptosis (programmed cell death) in rapidly dividing cancer cells, leaving normal cells unharmed. VGX-100, a recombinant viral protein, induces tumor cell death through apoptosis in number of tumor tissues including breast, prostate and brain. Initial trials will target patients with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and gastric cancer. Diosynth's development and manufacturing program employs the Dowpharma Pfenex Expression Technology, a Pseudomonas-based technology that can increase yields of recombinant protein in biomanufacturing applications.

"We are excited to work with VGX Pharmaceuticals, an innovative and progressive biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for infectious and immunological diseases and cancer,” said Jacques van Kimmenaede, president of Diosynth Biotechnology.
“We are very interested in applying our skills in fermentation development and manufacturing for the production of VGX-100 and we are also very enthusiastic about using the Pfenex Expression Technology to do so.”

“We are pleased to have contracted Diosynth Biotechnology to manufacture VGX-100, given their extensive experience and broad capabilities in manufacturing of biologics and their commitment to high-quality cGMP manufacturing,” said J. Joseph Kim, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of VGX Pharmaceuticals.