- The technology should reduce costs to patients and accelerate drug 
                              development  

Conagen, a vertically integrated synthetic biology company located in Boston's 
biotech corridor, announced today that it has acquired a fermentation-based 
technology for the production of therapeutically useful glycoproteins.

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The acquisition includes several patents covering the platform and all 
associated tangible assets, establishing Conagen as a leading developer of 
active pharmaceutical ingredients. 

In addition to a suite of more than 10 already developed therapeutic 
glycoproteins, the host platform will be used by Conagen for development of 
both novel and generic drugs. 

Industrial fermentation typically employs microbes which can be cultured 
rapidly at the largest scales without cell disruption or losses in 
productivity.  Characteristics of these therapeutics, which include desirable 
glycostructures and other post-translational modifications, have limited their 
commercial production to fragile mammalian cell systems at relatively small 
scales.  

"One of the most exciting features of this host organism is its ability to 
express glycoproteins harboring glycostructures which promote the desired 
immune cell functions.  This is a very unusual feature to find in a robustly 
fermentable microbe.  It is also advantaged by its ability to tolerate the 
engineering required to customize these glycostructures while preserving the 
microbe's robustness," said Vice President of Research and Development, Casey 
Lippmeier

The platform will reduce costs, and the savings can be passed down to patients. 
This is important to the pharmaceutical industry which is under increasing 
pressure to reduce time and capital in developing drugs," said Oliver Yu, 
Ph.D., co-founder, and CEO of Conagen.

The largest category of therapeutic glycoproteins is the blockbuster monoclonal 
antibodies upon which the entire $100 billion immunotherapy and antibody-drug 
conjugate market is based.  

More about Conagen: Making Impossible Possible(R)

Conagen is a leader in bioengineering. The company's scientists and engineers 
use the latest synthetic biology tools to design metabolic pathways, improve 
production organisms, and optimize production procedures. It focuses on 
bioproduction of high-value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavor and 
fragrance, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. For more 
information, visit the official company website at www.conagen-inc.com

SOURCE  Conagen

CONTACT: Ana Arakelian, Head of Public Relations and Communications, P: +1 
949-635-1991, ext. 14, ana.arakelian@conagen-inc.com