Objective Biopharmaceutical proteins are typically produced in cultivated mammalian cells, a costly process with limited scalability. Thus products such as monoclonal antibodies are very expensive and often beyond the reach of the world’s poor. The problem is compounded by the fact that important strategies for preventing diseases such as HIV and rabies typically involve large doses of multiple antibodies and other virucidal proteins. Plants have emerged as alternative production platforms for biopharmaceutical proteins because they are less expensive, more scalable and potentially could be transferred to developing countries. Recently, the first products have reached the clinic, but many of them are follow-on products already manufactured in mammalian cells.Here, Prof Julian Ma (St George’s Hospital Medical School, London, UK) and Prof Dr Rainer Fischer (RWTH Aachen University, Germany) aim to develop innovative ways to use plants for the economical, safe and sustainable production of combinations of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) based on recombinant proteins, thereby pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in plants beyond current capabilities with fermenter-based systems.We will focus on the production of antibodies and lectins against HIV and rabies, with the aim of generating GMP-compliant microbicidal cocktails for evaluation in human trials. Key aspects of the project will include the production of APIs both individually and as combinations in plants, the development of technologies allowing the introduction of transgenes into pre-determined genomic loci, the use of click chemistry to optimize the production and stoichiometry of recombinant protein cocktails, the development of candidate products for both topical and parenteral administration and the development of downstream processing concepts that are transferrable to developing countries, such as minimal processing and processing trains based on pre-assembled disposable modules. We will complete one Phase I clinical trials, each testing a plant-derived product that advances the field in a significant way Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsmedical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusesHIVsocial scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-AG-LS9 - ERC Advanced Grant - Applied life sciences and biotechnology Call for proposal ERC-2010-AdG_20100317 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant Host institution ST GEORGE'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL EU contribution € 2 588 863,00 Address CRANMER TERRACE SW17 0RE London United Kingdom See on map Region London Inner London — West Wandsworth Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Jane Boland (Ms.) Principal investigator Julian K-C. Ma (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all ST GEORGE'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL United Kingdom EU contribution € 2 588 863,00 Address CRANMER TERRACE SW17 0RE London See on map Region London Inner London — West Wandsworth Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Jane Boland (Ms.) Principal investigator Julian K-C. Ma (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN Germany EU contribution € 900 000,00 Address TEMPLERGRABEN 55 52062 Aachen See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Ingrid Wildrath (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data