College Station, Texas
May 10, 1999ProdiGene, a biotechnology
company located in College Station, Texas, hosted the grand opening of its new Business
and Research Headquarters in the Business Center at 101 Gateway
Blvd. on Monday, May 10.
"ProdiGene’s technical and commercial success over the past three years has
resulted in company growth beyond our current facilities," said John Howard, Ph.D.,
president and CEO of
ProdiGene. "The new Business and Research Headquarters, which includes more than
17,000 square feet of laboratories and offices and a 6,000 square foot state-of-the-art
greenhouse, is
necessary for future product development and growth of the company."
"This company has a bright future based on the multitude of future applications for
the technology we have developed," Howard said. "These new facilities represent
just one step toward accommodating our corporate growth. For example, ProdiGene was
started three years ago with 5 employees, and now we have 30 employees and are still
growing."
ProdiGene develops and commercializes novel protein products from transgenic plants. In
1997, ProdiGene became the first company in the world to commercialize protein products
produced from transgenic plants. The first two products are used in the diagnostic and
research chemical markets, demonstrating that recombinant proteins can be commercially
produced in plants rather than being extracted from animal sources or bacterial
fermentation, which is how these protein products have traditionally been produced.
ProdiGene’s technology provides the delivery system for future applications,
including the production of high-value industrial enzymes, as well as developing vaccines
for both the human and animal pharmaceutical industries. ProdiGene is testing the
production of cost-effective vaccines that can be fed to livestock, rather than injected.
The company is also investigating the next breakthrough for this technology – the
production of edible human vaccines, such as a vaccine for hepatitis B, in transgenic
plants.
Wayne Pitcher, Ph.D., vice president of technology, Genencor International, was one of the
speakers at the ProdiGene open house. He announced that Genencor would be investing in an
equity position in ProdiGene as part of a continuing alliance with the company.
"We are convinced that the combination of ProdiGene’s leading position in the
transgenic production of proteins in plants with Genencor’s strong industrial
biotechnology position provides a powerful base for collaboration," Dr. Pitcher
said. "We will take great pride in serving as a prime stakeholder in such a
cutting-edge company, and we believe this partnership is a testament to the collaboration
that has already developed between our groups.
"The potential of biotechnology to meet human needs and solve problems has just begun
to be realized," Dr. Pitcher said. "Building desired traits into plants has
become a big business rather than a curiosity."
ProdiGene is a leader in the biotechnology industry not only because of its proprietary
technology and viable delivery system, but also because of its significant licensing and
patenting position. ProdiGene owns 12 issued and pending patents and has licenses to more
than 50 issued and pending patents for the production of recombinant proteins in
transgenic plants. The company’s intellectual property stronghold puts it in a unique
position to move quickly in developing new products, distinguishing it from other
biotechnology companies.
PRODIGENE FACTS
ProdiGene enjoys a significant technology lead in several areas:
ProdiGene is the only company to produce commercial recombinant protein products from
plants
ProdiGene has produced the highest levels of recombinant protein ever reported in plants
ProdiGene has the expertise to genetically engineer the more difficult, but economically
important crops, such as corn
ProdiGene has the intellectual property to back its proprietary technology
Company news release
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