These days, there is a pill for everything from restless leg syndrome to erectile dysfunction. In fact, the only medicinal plant you hear about is illegal in the U.S.
That's all about to change. With a complete line of plant-based vaccines and antibodies, Newark, Del. pharma company
iBio seeks to spread its green-thumb mentality, helping other pharmaceutical companies more efficiently make the switch to plant-based products. This month, the company announced a partnership with
GE Healthcare to jointly develop and globally market manufacturing solutions for biopharmaceuticals and vaccines.
"We expect this relationship with GE Healthcare to accelerate and broaden market penetration for our technology through access to GE Healthcare's existing relationships and its skill and experience with project implementation and process development," says Chairman and CEO of iBio Robert B. Kay. "This is another implementation of our model to affiliate and out-source with best-in-class collaborators."
iBio's
iBioLaunch model--which provides an easy transition from synthetic manufacturing to a biopharmaceutical system at a lower cost and higher efficiency--is going global. But with their primary research partnership just seven years old, the company felt a partnership with the behemoth GE would allow a smoother transition into the global market. But iBio's brass remains competent that they are delivering a finished product onto the world stage. Move over marijuana, a whole new breed of healing plants should arrive on the scene soon.
"We have already done considerable planning and work with GE Healthcare to prepare for implementation of this agreement," says Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Vidadi Yusibov. "Therefore, we expect this relationship to start quickly and continue long after its initial three-year term to provide important results for our collective customers."
Source: Robert Kay, iBio
Writer: John Steele