| Strasbourg, France, May 14, 2007 — Polyplus-transfection, a company specialized in research, development and marketing of innovative reagents for drug delivery, gene therapy and transfection, announces today that it has obtained a EUR 80,000 grant from AFM (Association Française contre les Myopathies), France’s Muscular Dystrophy Association. The grant will finance the cGMP (current good manufacturing practices) compliant production process of its in vivo-jetPEITM reagent, thus enabling its use in gene therapy. |   |
Polyplus-transfection believes this upgrade to the cGMP production process will accelerate the use of in vivo-jetPEITM in gene therapy clinical trials in humans. The funding also covers the development of new quality control procedures as well as stability studies.
In vivo-jetPEITM is a synthetic molecule, polyethylenimine (PEI). PEI is a cationic linear polymer recognized as being the most effective reagent on the market for in vivo delivery of nucleic acids. With in vivo-jetPEITM, Polyplus-transfection offers clinicians an alternative technology for gene therapy to the commonly used viral approach using deactivated viruses. In vivo-jetPEITM is easy to use and does not trigger an immune response, a huge advantage compared to viruses which are very immunogenic and do not allow repeated use.
"Today Polyplus-transfection offers the only solution on the market to deliver genetic material using a synthetic molecule instead of a virus," said Joëlle Bloch, CEO of Polyplus-transfection. "With the help of the AFM funding for the development of a cGMP production process, in vivo-jetPEITM will be available to customers for use in clinical trials. This new gene/drug delivery tool represents a new hope for patients."
"At Polyplus-transfection we believe that this new process will accelerate our growth as well as demonstrate our expertise in the field of gene delivery, offering a serious alterative to viral approaches and emphasize the strength of our reagents for in vivo assays."
About Polyplus-transfection
Polyplus-transfection researches, develops and markets products for drug delivery, gene therapy and innovative transfection reagents. Transfection consists of introducing a gene or a small interfering RNA into a cell. This technique makes it possible to cross the cellular barriers and deliver such biomolecules into the cell for scientific or therapeutic purposes. Customers for Polyplus-transfection’s products and services include biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies as well as life science research laboratories.
In addition to transfection reagents for research, Polyplus-transfection offers high quality consultancy and personalized scientific support. The company has acquired expertise in regulatory affairs related to the use of its reagents for the delivery of gene candidates in clinical trials.
The Strasbourg-based company has a 20 members of staff, an international distribution network and numerous academic and industrial partnerships. Polyplus-transfection is one of the technology leaders in the transfection market with ISO 9001:2000 certification, three exclusive licenses from the CNRS and six patents filed.
For more information, visit: http://www.polyplus-transfection.com
Source: Polyplus-transfection
