The VelociMab suite of technologies was developed to synergize with the capabilities of the VelocImmune® mouse to accelerate the Regeneron antibody development timelines. These technologies enable high-throughput screening of potential therapeutic antibodies and the rapid generation of high-producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines for recombinant human antibodies. VelociMab allows researchers to go from mouse immunization to production cell line bioreactor harvest within eight months, with protein production yields exceeding 1 gram per liter.
Unlike traditional, hybridoma-based approaches, which can take a significantly longer time to produce cell lines, VelociMab integrates the rapid identification of therapeutic antibody candidates with the Regeneron proprietary EESYR expression system, thereby allowing a rapid progression from mouse immunization to a production cell line. Prior to commercialization, the antibody genes may be transferred to the Regeneron ultra-high-expression FASTR cell line for multi-gram per liter commercial production.
VelociMab Suite of Technologies
BST Bypasses Slow and Laborious Hybridoma Technologies
The B cell sorting technology (BST) process enables scientists to directly screen the entire antibody-producing cell population from the spleens of immunized mice for antibodies having preselected binding affinities and biological properties. Therefore, BST, which takes weeks, makes it possible to screen at least 100 times the number of antibodies from each spleen compared to hybridoma technologies, which may take months. Furthermore, BST clones the antibody genes from antibody expressing cells directly into EESYR CHO cell lines which can be used for manufacturing, saving multiple steps required in cell line production using traditional hybridoma approaches.
EESYR Cell Lines Produce Bioreactor Titers in Excess of 1 Gram per Liter Within Six Weeks of Transfection
Therapeutic protein genes are efficiently targeted into a specific high-expression gene locus in the EESYR cell line, which has been preadapted to animal protein-free bioreactor medium. Use of the EESYR cell line progresses seamlessly through an optimized bioprocess resulting in consistent, predictable, high-titer yields of the desired protein therapeutic. This turnkey, high-throughput process enables significantly more therapeutic antibody candidates to be evaluated using purified, clinical-grade protein expressed from the actual production cell lines. The EESYR cell line platform can be used to efficiently express any biologic and protein reagent.
FASTR Cell Lines Provide Multi-Gram Per Liter Expressing, Late-Clinical and Commercial Manufacturing-Quality Cell Lines
The Regeneron flow cytometry-based autologous secretion trap (FASTR) technology is a novel method for the high-throughput analysis and sorting of live cells based on expression level of the protein to be manufactured. The secreted protein is displayed on the cell surface through interaction with an inducible, cell-surface-bound protein produced from the same cell. Detection of the secreted protein allows isolation of the associated secreting cell by flow cytometry. This enables the creation of production cell lines specifically tailored to the desired bioprocess parameters for maximum bioreactor yields and favorable cost of goods.
Both EESYR and FASTR CHO cell lines may be paired with a proprietary genetic alteration that results in production of recombinant antibodies that lack certain oligosaccharides (are not fucosylated), thereby potentially giving the antibodies higher antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity mediated "killing" ability on certain targets, such as tumor cells.