ROCKVILLE, Md.—In late January, Six.02 Bioservices announced its launch as “a new approach for providing bioservices to innovators pursuing protein-based research and product development.” Six.02 says it is bringing various specialty companies together under one management organization to deliver a coordinated continuum of best-in-class services that will enable protein-based innovators to optimize productivity and mitigate risk in their discovery, development and manufacturing programs.
“Protein production is notoriously complex. Our goal is to create a more efficient and reliable contract services model for innovators tackling the challenges of protein-based research and product development,” said Michael Keefe, a partner at Six.02 Bioservices. “We’ve modeled Six.02 specifically to provide a coordinated pathway of bioservices from best-in-class providers, spanning concept through early-phase manufacturing, with consistent hallmarks of unsurpassed quality, efficiency, and communication. This approach is a paradigm shift in the bioservices industry that we hope will create greater value and service satisfaction for innovators developing human and veterinary biopharmaceuticals and vaccines, as well as diagnostics across the life sciences.”
The growing success of protein-based products is driving increased demand for services that support the design, synthesis, expression, quantification, modification and production of proteins and protein-related molecules, the company notes. And, since proteins are generated in living cells, protein production can be highly complex, often requiring post-translational modifications to enhance their bioactivity. The process of expressing proteins in quantity and developing sophisticated purification processes that are pure while retaining activity and yield can be challenging, particularly when short time frames are required.
To meet that challenge, Six.02 is acquiring companies that specialize in protein expression and development services, protein synthesis and engineering services, proteomic services, antibody development and generation services, analytical services related to proteins, small-scale and single-use GMP services, reagent products (antibodies and other proteins), diagnostic assay products, formulation/stability and drug delivery services, and packaging services, including fill/finish and lyophilization.
