Cobra Biologics has successfully produced and supplied two further DNA plasmids for the production of CombiGene AB’s gene therapy drug candidate CG01, which is being developed for the treatment of drug-resistant focal epilepsy. This completes delivery of all plasmids required to progress to the next phase of the project.

The production of CG01, is dependent on manufactured and specifically modified plasmids. All three plasmids delivered by Cobra are key components of the gene therapy vector tasked with “transporting” CG01’s active substances NPY and Y2 into the patient’s brain tissue. To produce CG01 the plasmids are introduced into specific cells that act as “the factory” to produce the CG01 compound which will then be purified through a series of advanced techniques. The development of the manufacturing process for CG01, is thereby significantly more complex and time consuming than is the case for traditional small molecule medicines.

The first plasmid was delivered in April and with Cobra now delivering the two remaining plasmids, CombiGene is ready to begin production of CG01 as soon as the final manufacturing process is defined.