CHO Plus, Inc. has secured a significant federal contract worth up to $10.4 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority's (BARDA) Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Preparedness Consortium (BioMaP-Consortium) to develop advanced cell line technologies for filovirus countermeasures. The 30-month project agreement, structured with a base period and two option periods, aims to create high productivity Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines specifically designed for manufacturing monoclonal antibodies against filoviruses.
Strategic Partnership for Biodefense Manufacturing
The South San Francisco-based company will collaborate with Avid Bioservices of Tustin, California, to scale up monoclonal antibody production capabilities. This partnership combines CHO Plus's engineered cell line expertise with Avid's commercial-scale manufacturing infrastructure to meet industrial production requirements.
"We are very pleased to receive this project agreement award from BARDA which involves using our engineered cell lines to produce monoclonal antibodies against highly contagious and lethal filoviruses," said Lawrence Forman, Founder and CEO of CHO Plus.
Nick Green, CEO of Avid Bioservices, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration: "We are thrilled CHO Plus selected Avid Bioservices to be their scale up partner to deliver these important monoclonal antibodies to support BARDA's strategic initiative for biodefense."
Addressing Critical Biodefense Needs
The project directly supports national biodefense preparedness by developing manufacturing capabilities for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting filoviruses, which are among the most dangerous pathogens due to their high contagiousness and lethality. The initiative aligns with BARDA's mission to advance research, development, and procurement of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
Company Capabilities and Infrastructure
CHO Plus, founded in 2014, specializes in addressing high costs and capacity issues facing therapeutic protein manufacturers through cutting-edge technologies for creating high productivity GMP-compliant mammalian cell lines. The company has expanded its focus to include viral vectors for gene therapy applications.
Avid Bioservices brings substantial manufacturing capacity to the partnership, operating over 350 team members across approximately 213,000 square feet spanning two campuses in Orange County, California. The company's facilities include mammalian protein process development capabilities, two commercial manufacturing facilities, and an early phase center of excellence.
Federal Funding and Oversight
The project receives funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) under contract number #75A50123D00003. The BioMaP-Consortium, which awarded the contract, comprises industry partners across the drug and vaccine manufacturing supply chain, including raw material manufacturers, innovative technology developers, and fill-finish service providers.
The consortium's mission focuses on expanding the industrial and manufacturing base for medical countermeasures, incorporating the necessary capabilities, flexibilities, and strategies to secure medical supplies for future health security threats facing the United States.
