TUCKER, GA & ROCKVILLE, MD, USA I August 18, 2014 I Expression Therapeutics LLC, a biotechnology company developing high expression factor VIII technologies, together with ABL, Inc., a biomedical contract research and manufacturing organization to the biopharmaceutical industry, announced today an agreement whereby ABL will perform cell line development studies to improve manufacturability and reduce the costs associated with large-scale production of recombinant factor VIII replacement therapy. Expression Therapeutics’ recombinant factor VIII platform generates 100-fold greater expression than current products. ABL will adapt the current cell line to grow in chemically defined, animal origin-free media, and conduct optimization studies of cell growth conditions to support large scale production in a bioreactor-based process.

“We are very excited about our collaboration with ABL. It will allow us to move our lead products into clinical trials faster and deliver our high expression recombinant factor VIII to patients,” explains Dr. Christopher Doering, Co-founder and Partner of Expression Therapeutics, LLC.

“This is a great opportunity for ABL to apply our expertise in cell line development to help advance Expression Therapeutics’ factor VIII product towards clinical production,” stated Dr. Thomas VanCott, President and CEO of ABL. “Adapting a cell line from adherent-based to suspension-based growth allows for production to occur in bioreactors, which substantially reduces material and scalability costs as quantity demands increase moving from the research bench to the clinic and eventual commercialization.”

About Expression Therapeutics LLC

Expression Therapeutics, LLC, based in Tucker, Georgia, is a biotechnology company whose mission is to develop novel therapies to dramatically improve the lives of people with hemophilia A around the world. Hemophilia A is a genetically inherited blood clotting disorder in which the clotting factor VIII is missing. Without treatment, hemophilia A is a lethal disorder resulting in death prior to adulthood. However, due to its high cost, less than 30% of patients with hemophilia A worldwide receive treatment. Expression Therapeutics has developed a potentially curative hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy treatment using recombinant viral vectors. A recombinant factor VIII protein infusion product has also been developed that could substantially lower the cost of manufacturing factor VIII and increase the availability of factor VIII supply to meet the needs of patients in developing countries. For more information on Expression Therapeutics and our technologies, please visit our website at www.expressiontherapeutics.com.

About ABL

ABL, Inc. (ABL) is a Maryland-based biomedical contract research and manufacturing organization dedicated to advancing vaccines, therapeutics and other biologic products. ABL has extensive experience working with diverse organizations, including government and academic entities and commercial bio/pharmaceutical companies. Notable services include basic research, product design, process and assay development, preclinical studies, clinical immunomonitoring and immunogenicity testing, and Phase I/II cGMP biologics manufacturing. ABL is a part of the Institut Mérieux, a group of companies dedicated to developing translational science for better patient care globally. For more information on ABL and our services, please visit our website at www.ablinc.com.

SOURCE: Expression Therapeutics