iBio, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) endocrine/metabolic news

iBio said the Brazil Ministry of Health will invest $170 million to develop a manufacturing facility in Ceara, Brazil, to produce plant cell-based products, including a vaccine against yellow fever. The vaccine is based on iBio's iBioLaunch plant-based vaccine and therapeutic protein manufacturing platform. Fiocruz, which is a part of the ministry, has rights to develop and commercialize the vaccine in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa under a January 2011 deal. iBio said construction on the facility will begin in 2014, with the facility becoming fully operational in 2016 (see BioCentury, Jan. 24, 2011).

Fiocruz also partnered with Protalix BioTherapeutics Inc. (NYSE-M:PLX; Tel Aviv:PLX, Carmiel, Israel) to build the manufacturing facility. Protalix will supply the foundation with its Uplyso alfataliglicerase and transfer to Fiocruz the capacity to produce the Gaucher's disease drug, which will also be made at the new Fiocruz facility. The product is approved in Brazil for long-term enzyme replacement therapy in adults with Type I Gaucher's disease. ...