Production of Plant-derived Cholesterol for MRNA Vaccines and Gene Therapies Boosted

Evonik increases the global supply of pharma-grade, plant-derived cholesterol for mRNA vaccines and gene therapies.

The large-scale production of PhytoChol® in Hanau, Germany, will meet an increased market demand for cholesterol.

US Set to Launch COVID Pills at Pharmacies for Free
The United States is prepared to launch a new program that will help COVID-19 positive Americans receive antiviral pills for free at local pharmacies and community health centers.

‘Supply of plant-derived cholesterol has been boosted by Evonik — a manufacturer of mRNA vaccines and gene therapies.’

Tweet it Now

This lipid is one of the key excipients in the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) used in COVID-19 vaccines. Rapid advances in research make lipid-based drug delivery increasingly relevant for a broader range of therapeutics, including vaccines against infectious diseases and cancer immunotherapy.

An increased supply of PhytoChol® supports the growth trajectory of Evonik’s Health Care business, which is part of the life sciences division, Nutrition & Care. By expanding manufacturing capacities for PhytoChol®, Nutrition & Care strengthens its portfolio of system solutions for advanced drug delivery.

The division aims to increase the share of system solutions from 20 percent today, to more than 50% by 2030.

Acquisition of India�s Pharma Company Approved
Collective acquisition of 10% shares of the GlaxoSmithKline Asia Private Ltd has been approved by the Competition Commission of India.

“As one of the few suppliers of high-quality, non-animal-derived cholesterol for the pharmaceutical industry, we are proud to provide innovators with a critical excipient for a wide range of innovative nucleic acid therapeutics,” said Dr. Thomas Riermeier, head of Evonik’s Health Care business line. “Increasing our supply of PhytoChol® is a timely step to further fuel the development of mRNA and gene therapies as well as biopharmaceutical cell culture applications.”

PhytoChol® is non-animal derived and, therefore, minimizes risks associated with cholesterol from animal origin, such as undesired immunological responses and inconsistent quality. It is an essential excipient for the lipid-based delivery of large molecules such as mRNA. PhytoChol® is available in two grades that are tailored to the specific needs of injectables and biopharmaceutical cell culture applications.

Prime Minister Says India Now Being Called 'Pharmacy of the World'
The trust earned by the healthcare sector in India has led to the nation being called the pharmacy of the world , in recent times, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), Evonik Health Care has been a leader in advanced drug delivery for many decades, supporting pharmaceutical companies worldwide with end-to-end CDMO services for the development and production of complex parenteral drug products.

Source-Medindia