Gradiflow graduates to validation stage

Life Technologies (formerly Gradipore, ASX: GDP) has announced that it has moved into the second phase of its development agreement with US company Hematech.

Hematech is evaluating Life Technologies' Gradiflow technology in the separation and purification of human polyclonal antibodies in bovine serum for use as human therapeutics and immuno-protectants.

The project will now move into the next phase to examine scale-up of the process and validation of the viral reduction capabilities of the Gradiflow process, which is expected to take six months to complete. Hematech is funding the study.

Life Technologies executive chairman John Manusu said the agreement with Hematech was just one of a number of external studies underway to validate the technology for use in the commercial manufacturing of biologicals.

"We are hell-bent on getting the technology validated and out there," he told Australian Biotechnology News. "This is just one effort -- every one is aimed at the validation of the Gradiflow process."

Manusu said that external validation and adoption of the Gradiflow technology was part of Life Technologies' 200-day plan, which was implemented to turn the company around following the management changeover last year.

"The next year should be interesting," he said.

Life Technologies recently acquired US plasma collection business Serologicals Specialty Biologics in order to secure access to plasma and is working to identify and develop niche plasma therapeutic products.