ProBioGen launches AGE1.CR.ReX designer cell line for poxvirus vaccine production
ProBioGen, the Berlin-based biopharmaceutical manufacturer, has announced the launch of AGE1.CR.ReX, a next-generation avian designer cell line engineered to support stable, high-titre poxvirus production and the rapid generation of recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA).
Addressing transgene stability challenges
The new platform incorporates switchable gene expression and ProBioGen’s proprietary TetherexX System, designed to eliminate a longstanding challenge in poxvirus vector development: maintaining stable transgene expression whilst achieving high viral yields. Conventional systems often create selection pressure against difficult or unstable transgenes, resulting in reduced viral titres, inconsistent batch performance and repeated plaque purification cycles.
Built on ProBioGen’s established GMP AGE1.CR.pIX lineage, AGE1.CR.ReX has been engineered to enable inducible control of transgene expression during virus production. According to Dr Ingo Jordan, Vice President Vaccine Strategies at ProBioGen, “The combination of inducible transgene control and the TetherexX System enables faster development timelines and more robust industrial manufacturing workflows for vaccine and viral vector developers.”
The TetherexX selection mechanism
Central to the platform is the TetherexX System, which employs tetherin – a cellular factor of the innate immune system – as a novel selection marker to selectively eliminate parental viruses. This approach reduces operator-intensive purification steps and supports a more direct path towards production-ready virus candidates. Key technical advantages of the AGE1.CR.ReX platform include pure recombinant MVA generation in as few as three passages, increased reliability through robust tetherin-based selection, high-throughput compatibility for efficient vaccine candidate screening, and suitability for both adherent and suspension cultures in chemically defined media.
Applications in pandemic preparedness
The TetherexX system combined with AGE1.CR.ReX forms the foundation for ProBioGen and Minapharm’s recent initiative towards an African Bundibugyo Ebola virus vaccine. The platform
is also designed for applications where conventional systems may fail to deliver both transgene stability and high viral titres, including development of oncolytic viruses and personalised medicines. Dr Volker Sandig, Chief Scientific Officer at ProBioGen, noted: “Without these technologies accelerated development and reliable manufacture of an MVA-based BDBV vaccine would not be possible.”
Availability and support
AGE1.CR.ReX is fully developed and GMP-banked at ProBioGen. The cell line is available with full technology transfer and integrated GMP manufacturing support.
For more information, visit: www.probiogen.de
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