FibroGen's BSE play in vaccines
Denatured collagen derived from animals is used as a stabilizer in a number of pharmaceuticals, including all live attenuated vaccines, such as measles, tetanus, diphtheria and yellow fever vaccines. However, the potential for contamination such as with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is an ongoing fear, making it increasingly important to develop recombinant sources of gelatin. Last week FibroGen Inc. signed its first deal to commercialize its synthetic gelatins, reaching an agreement to co-develop the substances for use in vaccines for Aventis Pasteur.
According to Jack Anthony, vice president of business development at FibroGen, 10 to 12 tons of gelatins are used annually worldwide in vaccine production. He noted that last year's recall of polio vaccines produced by the Medeva unit of PowderJect Pharmaceuticals plc (LSE:PJP, Oxford, U.K.) was related to the possible transmission of BSE to humans due to the use of growth medium of bovine origin(see BioCentury Oct. 23, 2000)...