KAHR aims to start clinical trials with RA candidate in 2010.

Israel-based KAHR Medical awarded Cobra Biomanufacturing a contract to develop and manufacture bulk quantities of its trans signal converter protein (TSCP) candidates for preclinical and future clinical trials. The deal will harness Cobra’s MaxXpress service, which combines cell-line development with its UCOE (ubiquitous chromatin opening elements) technology together with the company’s expertise in recombinant protein production.

The TSCP technology, licensed by KAHR from the University of Pennsylvania, comprises a class of multifunctional therapeutic fusion proteins designed to convert signals sent from one cell to another. KAHR says each of these fusion proteins typically combines the extracellular portion of a type I membrane protein (at the fusion protein’s N-terminus) with the extracellular portion of a type II membrane protein (at the fusion protein’s C-terminus), resulting in a therapeutic protein with two functional sides.

KAHR’s lead product is the rheumatoid arthritis candidate, KAHR-101, which combines relevant portions of the immune-related membrane proteins, Fn14 and TRAIL. It is expected to start in clinical trials by mid 2010. KAHR’s second therapeutic, KAHR-102, is in development for the treatment of psoriasis and combines sections of the immune-related membrane proteins, CTLA-4 and FasL.

KAHR and Cobra have been working together for 18 months on the process development of KAHR-101 and KAHR-102. A production process of KAHR-101 has already been developed, and batches have been manufactured for preclinical testing.


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Past News for Cobra Biomanufacturing

Cobrabio to Manufacture ViroMed Oncology Vaccine (June 9, 2008)
Cobra Biomanufacturing Receives French Approval for R&D Tax Credit (Mar. 13, 2008)
Cobra to Support Manufacturing of GenVec’s Late-Stage Cancer Therapy (Jan. 24, 2008)
Cobra to Continue Backing Advaxis’ Cervical Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trials (Oct. 18, 2007)
Cobra Receives Grant to Develop Oral Vaccine Delivery Platform (May 31, 2007)

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