Medicago announces research collaboration with Bayer CropScience

Quebec City, QC – Medicago says it has entered into a product development agreement with Bayer CropScience in the field of plant-made pharmaceuticals. The goal of the collaboration is to assess the feasibility of using Medicago’s Proficia protein technology for the production of an undisclosed human therapeutic protein. The company says it expects this will lead to further cooperation between the two companies in the area of PMPs.

The Proficia protein technology system capitalizes on the inherent advantages of alfalfa plants to efficiently produce proteins, offering biopharmaceutical companies the flexibility and high volume potential of plant-based technology to produce therapeutic human proteins within safe, controlled environments of high-tech greenhouses. The company says its technology provides several advantages compared to cell culture and other biological expression systems, including: fast development time-lines and scale-up, contained and controlled manufacturing, consistent product quality, reduced contamination risk, lower production costs, flexibility of timing and reduced capital investments.

“We are delighted to establish this collaboration with Bayer CropScience. This agreement is important to Medicago because it validates the growing market interest in Medicago’s technology” says Andy Sheldon, Medicago’s president and CEO.