Category: Uncategorized

GREEN TAXOL. Drugs made in plants circumvent the chemical synthesis route that invariably uses toxic and expensive solvents and chemicals. Taxol (Abraxane), the chemotherapeitic drug, was originally made from bulk extracts of Northwest Pacific Yew bark, and in early years this accounted for 100% of production. This quickly threatened natural Yew habitats. Today, however, all Taxol production uses plant cell fermentation technology." " http://lnkd.in/dP8npNm View in LinkedIn

DRUGS MADE IN PLANTS. "Drugs that are based on large biological molecules — known as biologics — have been produced inside genetically engineered animal cells, yeast and bacteria for more than two decades. Insulin has been made by genetically modified Escherichia coli bacteria since 1982." However, the first FDA approval was only in 2012. Today there are about 4 other drugs preparing to be made in tobacco and rice. " " http://lnkd.in/dRt_jVs View in LinkedIn

NFLECTION POINT FOR MOLECULAR FARMING. "Recently, the field has reached an inflection point with the FDA approval of the first prescription biological produced in plant cells. In addition, plant-made production and downstream facilities are being built all over the world, a clear sign of the expansion of plant-based platforms as efficient protein production platforms."" " http://www.ibmcp.upv.es/FGB/cost/home/home.html View in LinkedIn

PHARMING HAD A BUMPY START, but remains a logical solution to human needs for inexpensive pharmaceuticals for diseases. Troubles started when a plant engineered to make trypsin was carelessly permitted to enter the normal crop system. "ProdiGene was fined $250,000 and ordered by the USDA to pay over $3 million in cleanup costs. This raised a furor and set the pharming field back, dramatically. Many companies went bankrupt as companies faced difficulties getting permits for field trials and investors fled."" " http://lnkd.in/dAb-fRf) View in LinkedIn

POTENT ABILITY TO MEET DEMAND."Just one farm growing 16,000 acres of safflower could meet the world’s total demand for insulin. But potential cost savings are eliminated under current regulations, set up for GM agricultural crops not pharmaceuticals."" " http://lnkd.in/dykaaMS View in LinkedIn

PHARMING is the insertion of commercially useful genes into plants and sometimes animals. "The products of pharming are recombinant proteins or their metabolic products. Recombinant proteins are most commonly produced using bacteria or yeast in a bioreactor, but pharming offers the advantage to the producer that it does not require expensive infrastructure, and production capacity can be quickly scaled to meet demand, at greatly reduced cost."" " http://lnkd.in/dAb-fRf) View in LinkedIn

RISK AND REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT for molecular pharming. Over the past 25 years, molecular pharming has investigated 4 categories of products: (1). Herbicide and pesticide resistant plants; (2). Nutrition improvements (Golden Rice); (3). Industrial proteins (cellulase, trypsin); (4). Pharmaceuticals and vaccines. By April 2011, the EC had approved 30 products. " " http://lnkd.in/dA-gXhH View in LinkedIn

THE NEXT SERIES of blogs relates to using plants, yeast or bacteria to make useful molecules using their biochemical machinery. This is an alternative to traditional chemical synthesis or bulk extraction, which is so often associated with toxic byproducts. View in LinkedIn

MOLECULAR PHARMING NOW ON THE BRINK OF TAKEOFF. "After two decades of development and academic proofs of principle, a number of recent advances have moved the technology rapidly towards commercialisation. The first products are now being licensed in the USA. The first-in-human clinical trial of a plant derived monoclonal antibody has been performed in Europe. And there has been significant investment into manufacturing facilities around the world."" " http://lnkd.in/d8p-GH2 View in LinkedIn

WE NEED A XXX-FACTOR GRAND CHALLENGE COMPETITION of a €500 M prize for the winner, to crack the biomimicry of earth's advanced and sublime photosynthesis system, to eat CO2 and generate H2 fuel. Humans have put man on the moon. This challenge we can meet. It just needs imaginative incentives to focus the creative scientific talent on this problem. View in LinkedIn