ProMetic Life Sciences Inc announced that its purification technology has been successfully scaled up as part of the process used to purify Recombumin 20percent, Aventis Behring's recombinant albumin product. This has resulted in a new level of purity in biological products.

Recombumin 20percent is produced by Delta Biotechnology Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aventis Behring L.L.C. Recombumin 20percent is expressed in yeast and purified using chromatography. Manufacturers of biological products can use Recombumin 20percent as a stabilizing agent for new therapies in development or by replacing less optimal stabilizers in their existing products such as vaccines and recombinant therapies.

"We are particularly pleased with this achievement," stated Dr. Steve Burton, vice-president, Research & Development at ProMetic. "ProMetic's proprietary purification technology is based on synthetic affinity ligands, which are custom designed to bind selectively to a targeted protein."

The results are the culmination of a long-standing collaboration between ProMetic and Aventis Behring to develop affinity purification technology. Recently, Aventis Behring announced the successful results of its large, clinical trial for Recombumin 20percent. The trial was designed to assess the tolerability of Recombumin 20percent as a stabilizing component in pharmaceutical and biological products as well as in coatings for medical devices.

"We believe Recombumin 20percent can raise the standard of purity and safety in important therapies already developed to prevent and treat diseases around the world," stated Werner Merkle, Vice President and General Manager of Aventis Behring's Delta Biotechnology Ltd. "Recombumin 20percent symbolizes the future of Aventis Behring as we continue to combine state-of-the art technology with our rich heritage in plasma therapy."