– We are very impressed Genovis and how they managed to launch this product in such a short time, says Christian Spoerry, one of the founders of Protactio.
Christian Spoerry and Ulrich von Pawel-Rammingen from Umeå universitet are the researchers behind this unusual business story in a field where it usually takes many years to go from registering a company to launching a product for sale.
Proteases cut proteins in two
Their product is an enzyme, a protease, that can cut proteins in two. It is very specific and can cut human IgG1-antibodies at one particular site. The enzyme is reliable and works in a natural environment, a unique characteristic for similar products simplifying the work process.
– We were aware of the enzyme’s potential to reach the market quite quickly, but we were thinking more in the terms of a year or so, says Ulrich von Pawel-Rammingen, one of the inventors of the enzyme.
Discussions since October 2016
The company name, Protactio, is a combination of the word protease and the latin word for activity – a way to highlight the function of the company’s product. Protactio AB was registered on the 24th of April 2017 and the IP-rights were transferred to their partner Genovis after only a few days. However, they have been in contact with the Lund offices since October last year.
– When we got the chance to work closer to the researchers from Umeå we got a better picture of the needs on the market and decided to aquire their IP-property, says CEO of Genovis Fredrik Olsson to Biostock.se.
New tool for immunotherapy developers
Their new joint product is especially interesting for companies developing antibodies within immunotherapy, a strong and growing field within pharmacology.
– This enzyme is much more precise and considerably easier to use. In the end these properties increase both quality and the value of data generated, says Fredrik Olsson.
Read more about their product directly at the Genovis website: https://www.genovis.com/products/fabalactica/
