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Biotech Client

3× Increase in Expression Yield

How we helped a leading biotech company achieve 3.2 g/L expression yield for a difficult-to-express therapeutic antibody in just 12 weeks.

3.2 g/L
Final Expression Yield
12 weeks
Project Timeline
220%
Yield Improvement

Client Background

Our client is a leading biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapeutic antibodies for oncology and immunology indications. They have a robust pipeline of antibody candidates at various stages of development, from discovery to clinical trials.

The company was developing a novel therapeutic antibody targeting a challenging membrane protein for cancer immunotherapy. This antibody showed exceptional preclinical efficacy but faced significant manufacturing challenges due to its complex structure and low expression yields.

Despite working with multiple CROs and internal teams, they were unable to achieve commercially viable expression levels, with existing platforms delivering only approximately 1 g/L in fed-batch culture. This low yield threatened the project's economic feasibility and could have led to project cancellation.

The Challenge

Key Challenges Faced:

  • Extremely Low Expression Only 1 g/L yield using traditional expression platforms
  • Complex Protein Structure Antibody has unique glycosylation patterns affecting expression
  • Time Constraints Clinical trial deadline was approaching
  • Product Quality Concerns Existing approaches affected antibody binding affinity
  • Previous Failures Multiple CROs had attempted but failed to improve yield

Our Solution

AI-Powered Antibody Optimization

We deployed our proprietary AntibodyLLM platform to analyze the antibody's sequence, structure, and expression characteristics. Our AI model identified specific amino acid substitutions and codon optimizations that would enhance expression without compromising binding affinity or product quality.

The optimization focused on improving protein folding, reducing aggregation, and enhancing secretion efficiency in CHO cells, while preserving the antibody's critical functional domains.

Stable Cell Line Development

Our team developed a highly productive stable CHO cell line using our optimized antibody sequence. We employed advanced cell line development techniques including high-throughput clone screening, fed-batch process optimization, and scale-up studies.

The process was designed for commercial scalability, with robust performance across different bioreactor scales and culture conditions.

Process Development

We developed a fed-batch culture process specifically optimized for the antibody, including customized media formulation, feeding strategy, and culture parameter optimization. The process ensured high titer while maintaining product quality attributes critical for therapeutic use.

Extensive analytical testing confirmed that the optimized antibody maintained all critical quality attributes, including glycosylation profile, aggregation levels, and biological activity.

Outstanding Results

3.2 g/L
Expression Yield
From 1 g/L baseline
220%
Yield Improvement
3× increase
50+
Generations Stable
Consistent expression
12
Weeks Timeline
From start to delivery

Additional Achievements:

  • Product quality within all specifications
  • Binding affinity maintained at target levels
  • Glycosylation profile optimized for efficacy
  • Process scalable to 200L and beyond
  • GMP-grade material delivered on time

Client Testimonial

"AntibodyLLM's AI-driven approach exceeded our expectations. We had tried multiple CROs and internal approaches without success. Their platform not only solved our expression yield problem but also delivered a robust, scalable process. The 3.2 g/L yield has transformed the economics of our therapeutic antibody program and enabled us to move forward with clinical development. We're now working with AntibodyLLM on additional projects."

Director of Protein Sciences
Leading Biotechnology Company

Technical Details

Project Specifications:

Expression System

CHO-DG44 stable cell line

Culture Type

Fed-batch bioreactor

Baseline Yield

1.0 g/L (previous platform)

Optimized Yield

3.2 g/L (AntibodyLLM platform)

Project Duration

12 weeks

Scale Tested

5L to 50L scale

Facing Similar Expression Challenges?

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