BAC has extended its collaboration with GE Healthcare with the addition of a bioprocess affinity chromatography ligand to GE's range of custom-designed media.
The latest addition to the range is an affinity resin for the purification of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) from blood plasma, recombinant cell culture or transgenic sources.
The resin has been developed as part of GE Healthcare's custom-designed media programme and provides a new solution for AAT purification in the biopharmaceutical industry.
AAT is a protease inhibitor that protects body fluids and tissues from the body's own protease enzymes, and a deficiency can lead to emphysema, COPD, or in some cases, liver damage.
AAT deficiency can be treated by supplementing patients' AAT levels.
Plasma-derived AAT therapeutics on the market include Prolastin (Talecris), Aralast (Baxter) and Zemaira (CSL Behring), and there are a number of recombinant products in development.
BAC hopes that its AAT affinity ligand, developed as part of its Captureselect range, will provide manufacturers with a more streamlined and higher-yielding purification option.
