Novexin has been awarded an additional £200,000 grant for research and development by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
The funding will help the company to develop its NVoy technology, a novel approach to protein processing which could revolutionise the manufacturing of protein based drugs.
Novexin's NVoy technology uses specifically designed carbohydrate polymers to enhance the solubility and stability of proteins in solution.
Since NVoy polymers form reversible complexes without altering protein structure, they can be used to improve protein production and in a wide range of protein analyses.
This second DTI award will help finance a two year research and development programme at Novexin's laboratories in Cambridge, UK, to develop the NVoy polymers and extend their application, particularly in the area of large-scale protein drug production.
The development work funded by Novexin's first DTI award made in 2004, also for £200,000 was successfully completed earlier this year and resulted in Novexin launching a range of laboratory products incorporating NVoy technology.
These innovative kits now marketed by Novexin are being purchased and used by over 80 companies and research institutes world-wide.
Trevor Jarman, CEO of Novexin commented: "We are delighted to receive another substantial DTI grant.
"This second accolade is a strong endorsement of our NVoy technology, as well as the dynamic research and development which underpins Novexin.
"The funding will make a major contribution in extending the use of NVoy in protein science and could generate world-leading solutions to many of the intractable problems surrounding protein production, resulting in rapid and cost-effective manufacture of protein based drugs."
