PBI buys BaroFold to expand biomanufacturing offering
The acquisition includes all patents related to BaroFold’s PreEMT platform, which is a high pressure system used to control protein folding and prevent aggregation.
According to BaroFold the technology increases yields and reduces production costs by $2m to $10m a year per commercial biologic drug
In addition, BaroFold helps companies interested in its technology to test it for production process.
It also licenses the PreEMT platform. Both business will continue under PBI’s ownership according to CEO Richard T. Schumacher.
"We plan to continue the biologics contract research services program previously provided by BaroFold.
“We will also offer manufacturing-scale licenses to biopharmaceutical companies ready to take advantage of the PreEMT technology for more efficient production of their high-quality biological products,” Schumacher said.
BaroFold chairman Kyle Lefkoff said the majority of the purchase price for his firm had been paid in PBI’s restricted common stock, bit not provide additional details.
PreEMT Technology
PreEMT technology contrasts with traditional protein refolding methods, according to BaroFold.
The technology dissociates protein aggregates and refolds them at conditions that favour the protein’s native conformation, which contrasts with methods requiring complete denaturation.
A number of manufacturers have adopted the technology. In 2013, Boehringer Ingelheim installed a PreEMT system at its microbial facility in Vienna, Austria.
