REGENSBURG, Germany–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 25, 2005–The German biotech company profos ag offers optimal solutions for the high efficient removal of toxic contaminations derived from bacteria, so-called endotoxins, from biopharmaceutical products. With the launch of “EndoTrap red” the profos ag extends their EndoTrap product portfolio.
In recent years biopharmaceuticals have been playing more and more a major role for the treatment of diseases like diabetes, myocardial infarction, cancer or AIDS. These biopharmaceuticals are purified from naturally occurring or genetically modified organisms like bacteria, cell-cultures or even plants. Endotoxins are a general threat for every biomanufacturing process. Highest purity is needed to guarantee optimal efficacy of the bio-medication and reduction of unwanted side effects. Therefore the bio-pharma industry makes greatest effort to detect the endotoxin concentration and to remove these endotoxins from their products.
EndoTrap is based on the profos patented technology which enables to remove endotoxins with ease. This affinity chromatography is henceforth available in two versions: “EndoTrap blue” and “EndoTrap red”. EndoTrap suits now even more specifically needs in research, development and industrial production.
“The best protein purification system of recent years”
Scientists at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany, described EndoTrap as “probably the best protein purification system of recent years”. EndoTrap is a highly affine chromatographic purification system for protein solutions. The 1-ml columns contain microscopically small beads that are bound to special proteins. These proteins bind specifically to endotoxins. Thereby one can remove endotoxins from protein solutions without incubation – the proteins flow purified out of the column.
Endotoxins
Endotoxins are biologically active structural components of the outer cell membrane of many bacteria. Modern biotechnical manufactured medicaments are often produced in micro-organisms and therefore contain unprocessed high endotoxin concentrations. Contamination with endotoxins can in stimulation experiments falsify the results.
Even low amounts of endotoxin can cause severe toxication reactions in human like inflammation, fever or organ collapse as a result of sepsis. Endotoxins play an important role in the becoming of asthma, rheumatism and diabetes to mention only some examples. Therefore medicaments have to be cleaned from all endotoxin contaminations after their production in a bioreactor.