US-based global biotechnology company Dyadic International has announced the expansion of its partnership with South Korea-based global research biopharmaceutical company Medytox to co-develop C1 manufactured Covid-19 vaccines.

Dyadic’s aim is to further improve, manufacture and use its Thermothelomyces heterothallica fungus-based proprietary C1-cell protein production platform to expedite development, reduce production costs and enhance the performance of biologic vaccines and therapeutics commercially.

If the Dyadic and Medytox co-developed C1-manufactured Covid-19 vaccines/boosters are successful, they can be used to fight against a minimum of two current and future Covid-19 variants.

Medytox executive vice-president and head of R&D Gi-Hyeok Yang, Sr stated: “We are very excited to extend our collaboration with Dyadic and their C1 technology platform to partner in the co-development of C1 manufactured Covid-19 vaccines. We have been working closely with Dyadic since July 2020, when we obtained access to their C1 expression platform and experienced the remarkable versatility and high productivity of the C1 platform. Based on our experience and comparing the C1 technology platform against several other expression platforms such as CHO and insect cells, we believe that the fungi-derived C1 expression system is the most realistic technology to develop and manufacture multi-valent (i.e., tri-valent, and tetra-valent) vaccines, rapidly and affordably, against Covid-19 mutant viruses without the need for a large-scale bioreactor facility.

“Medytox has confidence that the C1 technology platform can play a critical role in helping combat Covid-19, which may continue to persist as a seasonal influenza and necessitate Covid-19 variant vaccine shots every year. We look forward to gaining additional experience with the C1 technology as it has potential for use in developing and producing a growing number of vaccines, drugs, and other biological products in addition to Covid-19.”

Dyadic founder and CEO Mark Emalfarb commented: “If global efforts to eradicate the current pandemic are to be successful, there needs to be more efficient, affordable, and flexible ways to develop and manufacture vaccines globally, that can stop the spread of Covid-19. At Dyadic, we listened to early warnings from the scientific community and, as early as 2015, we joined with European human and animal health experts in the Zoonosis Anticipation Preparedness Initiative (ZAPI).

“In 2018, we expanded this effort with the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), to further develop our C1 gene expression platform for use in facilitating a fast, coordinated, and practical response to emerging infectious diseases. If we are to achieve a better future, we must reduce or eliminate the risk of future pandemics, by acting now to invest in crucial research and development to optimize vaccination and drug strategies and technologies. A growing number of global scientists, industry and government agencies believe the C1 platform is positioning Dyadic as the partner of choice for high volume, low-cost, next generation vaccine and drug manufacturing, including Covid-19, influenza and other vaccines.”