LenioBio GmbH and Fraunhofer IME to Advance Novel Protein Discoveries Through a License Agreement

DUSSELDORF and AACHEN, Germany, August 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Life sciences startup LenioBio GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME announced today the signing of an exclusive license agreement that allows LenioBio to utilize Fraunhofer's proprietary vector solution and technology for the cryopreservation of cell lysates. In March 2018, LenioBio obtained an exclusive license from Dow AgroSciences LLC to commercialize its proprietary eukaryotic cell-free protein expression technology. The optimized vector solution and cryopreservation technology from Fraunhofer IME has been specifically developed to meet the wide application areas LenioBio is targeting. With the addition of the Fraunhofer IME license, LenioBio is extending the patent family covering this innovative cell-free system and will soon launch its expression kit under the brand name ALiCE™, targeting novel protein developers.

The development of ALiCE™ was a collaborative effort between Dow AgroSciences LLC and Fraunhofer IME under a long-standing strategic alliance, and the system has been used by where Fraunhofer IME contributed some of the unique materials that made the system best-in-class among all cell-free protein expression systems. Fraunhofer IME has applied this system for the expression of many different protein classes, including those that are known to be difficult to express, such as human growth factors and full-size antibodies.

Professor Stefan Schillberg, Ph.D., a member of the Institute Management (provisional) and Head of Division Molecular Biotechnology at Fraunhofer IME, stated, "Cell-free biosynthesis allows the rapid screening and production of even difficult-to-produce proteins. In addition, the high productivity of ALiCE™ opens new fields of applications for cell-free technology that we will develop further together with LenioBio."

Dr. Remberto Martis, CEO of LenioBio, added that "ALiCE™ is a unique and innovative platform for the expression of proteins for all kinds of applications. It has proven to be able to overcome several deficiencies of conventional expression systems currently used in the biotech field. In addition to delivering higher amounts of proteins than any other systems of its kind, ALiCE™ has the capability to express a broad range of proteins while remaining cost effective". The ease of use of ALiCE™ will vastly simplify the work of our customers. We will launch the ALiCE™ platform this quarter initially as an expression kit, which yields on average higher amounts of proteins compared to other cell-free protein expression kits.

Dr. Martis also noted that "Going forward, we anticipate launching the unique "Enterprise Kit™", that will allow biotech companies to develop and produce larger amounts of their protein candidates in-house."

About LenioBio

LenioBio GmbH is a life sciences start-up company committed to the advancement of transformative technology platforms for the development and synthesis of 'difficult-to-produce' proteins across all industries, including biomedical, industrial, and agricultural. LenioBio was established in September 2016 with offices in Dusseldorf and Bocholt and R&D and production facilities in Aachen. For more information about LenioBio, please visit our website at www.leniobio.com.

About Fraunhofer IME

The Fraunhofer IME conducts research in the field of applied life sciences from the molecular level to entire ecosystems. Our interdisciplinary organization and laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment, including GMP facilities and complex facilities for environmental simulations, allow a wide spectrum of research and development services in the divisions "Molecular Biotechnology", "Applied Ecology and Bioresources", and "Translational Medicine". The strength of Fraunhofer IME lies in this broad spectrum of scientific and methodological expertise, enabling us to develop innovative and comprehensive solutions to the enormous challenges confronting society in areas such as sustainable agriculture, health, and the bioeconomy. Fraunhofer has over 500 employees working at the locations in Schmallenberg, Aachen, Münster, Gießen, Frankfurt/Main, and Hamburg. For more information about Fraunhofer IME, please visit our website at www.ime.fraunhofer.de.

Contacts:
LenioBio GmbH
Dr. Hakon Birgisson
info@leniobio.com

Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
Prof. Dr. Stefan Schillberg
Stefan.Schillberg@ime.fraunhofer.de