Vitrology
News
May
2012
Vitrology
is Now Part of SGS, The World's Leading Inspection, Verification,
Testing & Certification Company.
Vitrology Limited is pleased to announce its
acquisition by SGS, the world’s leading inspection,
verification, testing and certification company. The founding
members of Vitrology see compelling synergies between the
respective current testing activities of Vitrology and SGS.
This is an exciting opportunity to provide our customers with
an enhanced range of services complementing our core strengths
and long experience in all aspects of biosafety testing.
SGS is recognized as the global benchmark
for quality and integrity, employing over 70,000 people and
operating a network of more than 1,350 offices and laboratories
around the world. The Vitrology team and our facility in Glasgow,
UK, will now join SGS’ international Life Science Services
network of 18 laboratories in Belgium, Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and USA.
This global life science network offers an extensive range
of laboratory and clinical trial services.
Your key contacts within the founding team
of Vitrology will remain as follows:
- Margaret Temple – Business Management
- Dr Archie Lovatt – Scientific Operations
- Jane Horan – Quality Assurance
- Philippe Grimm – Marketing and Business
Development
- Dr Steve Gibson – will continue with
his plans to retire once his activities are fully transferred.
Throughout the acquisition and integration
please be assured that SGS Vitrology will continue to provide
scientific services to you, our client, as before. The only
expected change will be an enhancement of the range of services
we can provide for you. Our contact details remain exactly
the same. SGS Vitrology will continue to provide you with
world-leading biosafety testing in support of your biopharmaceutical
product development and manufacture.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you
would like any further information regarding this exciting
development and visit the SGS Life Science Services website
to learn more about our new company: www.sgs.com/lifescience
.”
New
Assay Launch
May
2012
New QC assays launched from Q4 2011 to Q2
2012: Full 9CFR bovine and porcine by real time PCR, other
bovine and porcine viruses that may go undetected by culture
(eg TTV, bocavirus, hokovirus), Stem cell testing services
(Treponoma, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia real time PCRs) ; RCA
assays ; Induction Electron Microscopy studies for cell lines
characterisation for the detection of inducible retroviruses
(for Vaccines) ; HPV PCR; Nipah and Hog cholera Viruses by
real time PCRs.
Beckman Coulter Genomics and Vitrology Ltd. Partner to Offer
Comprehensive Biologics Testing Solutions
Alliance
Provides One-Stop Biosafety Testing Service
January
2011
DANVERS, Mass., and GLASGOW, UK – (January
17, 2011) — Beckman Coulter Genomics and Vitrology Ltd.
today announced a strategic partnership to offer customers
a wide range of biosafety testing services. The alliance provides
the biopharmaceutical industry with two inclusive sources
for the full complement of molecular, in vitro and in vivo
genomic services necessary for the identification, stabilization
and purification of biological products.
The alliance also provides customers with
access to the next generation sequencing technologies that
are revolutionizing biology. It is widely recognized that
massively parallel sequencing technologies hold incredible
promise for the study of DNA sequence variation in vaccines,
cell banks and gene therapy products, and allow the use of
an open-question approach for the safety characterization
of biologics.
“Partnering with leading-edge innovators
to respond to the dynamic research needs of our customers
worldwide is fundamental to our goals as a quality genomic
services provider,” said Elena Jouravleva, global product
manager for Biologics Testing Services at Beckman Coulter
Genomics. “This alliance supplements Beckman Coulter’s
existing biologics testing services, which have a focus on
identity and stability testing, with Vitrology’s expertise
in biosafety testing, in both Good Manufacturing Practice
and Good Laboratory Practice environments.”
“We are pleased to partner with Beckman
Coulter Genomics to offer the global biotechnology industry
an array of scientific assays to fully characterize a wide
range of biologics,” said Margaret Temple, CEO of Vitrology.
“This dynamic new alliance is a natural fit, coupling
Beckman Coulter Genomics’ sequencing and marketing capabilities
with the experience of the Vitrology team to offer an expert
source of safety testing with sequencing data and analysis.
Both companies are committed to ensuring that they offer the
appropriate range of assays to ensure clients can achieve
regulatory authority approval for product safety.”
Beckman Coulter Genomics provides Sanger and
next generation DNA sequencing, gene expression profiling,
genotyping and biologics testing services. The collaboration
between Beckman Coulter Genomics and Vitrology further expands
and complements both companies’ extensive biologics
testing services portfolios, which are available to clients
worldwide.
About
Beckman Coulter Genomics
Beckman Coulter Genomics, with headquarters in Danvers, Massachusetts,
is a leading global provider of genomic services and nucleic
acid purification products, serving life-science researchers
and the pharmaceutical industry throughout the world. The
company was created by combining Beckman Coulter’s Agencourt
Bioscience with Cogenics. By providing technical expertise,
combined with personalized service, Beckman Coulter Genomics
delivers the highest quality data, robust analyses and innovative
thinking. For more information, visit www.beckmangenomics.com
About
Beckman Coulter Inc. Beckman
Coulter, Inc., based in Orange County, California, develops,
manufactures and markets products that simplify, automate
and innovate complex biomedical tests. More than a quarter
of a million Beckman Coulter systems operate in laboratories
around the world, supplying critical information for improving
patient health and reducing the cost of care. Recurring revenue,
consisting of consumable supplies (including reagent test
kits), service and operating-type lease payments, represent
about 80 percent of the company's 2009 revenue of $3.3 billion.
For more information, visit www.beckmancoulter.com
or www.beckmancoulter.com/75years.
About
Vitrology Limited Vitrology
Limited is a contract testing organization based in Glasgow,
Scotland, providing GMP and GLP assays to detect potential
contaminants in biological products, as well as offering regulatory
and consulting services. The company has a highly experienced
team, whose members have tested a wide range of biopharmaceutical,
vaccine and veterinary products, from pre-clinical to commercial
stage, over a fifteen-year period. For more information, visit
www.vitrologybiotech.com.
Beckman Coulter and the stylized logo are
registered trademarks of Beckman Coulter, Inc.
Detection of Porcine Circovirus Contamination of Biological
Samples by Real-time QPCR.
April
2010
A recent press releases from a major biopharmaceutical
company reported the presence of Porcine circovirus Type-1
(PCV-1) DNA in their product. The drug maker confirmed its
presence in both the cell bank and the virus seed from which
the vaccine is derived, suggesting its presence from the early
stages of vaccine development.
PCV is a single stranded DNA virus that is non-enveloped with
a non-segmented circular genome. The viral capsid is icosahedral
and approximately 17 nm in diameter. It is robust and difficult
to remove or inactivate by physico-chemical means, including
gamma irradiation.
Studies have shown that human cell lines can be infected with
porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1) and porcine circovirus type
2 (PCV2). Infection of PCV1 was observed with HEK 293 and
Hela cells. PCV1 can persist in cell lines without causing
any visible changes, while PCV2-transfected cells can show
a cytopathogenic effect. PCV contamination could possibly
occur from the use of porcine trypsin in a cell lines history.
Since most cell lines have been exposed to this reagent, the
screening of all such cell substrates used for manufacture
of clinical material is recommended.
To assist biotech companies in ensuring the absence of PCV-1
and PCV-2, Vitrology’s team of QPCR experts offer a
highly sensitive, fully validated, cGMP compliant, routine
nucleic acid based test capable of sensitively detecting PCV-1,
PCV-2 and Bovine circovirus in biological samples.
French
Ministry of Research Approves Vitrology Limited as R&D
Subcontractor.
April
2010
Glasgow based Vitrology Limited has been successfully
approved as a subcontractor for research and development projects
by the French Ministry of Research. This approval enables
private companies subject to corporate tax in France to claim
R&D tax credits for work subcontracted to Vitrology Limited.
The approval process required the company
to present a recent development project that demonstrated
their competence as a subcontractor and as innovator.
Vitrology Limited has a number of French companies
amongst its client base and this agreement will support future
business growth.
Mr Philippe Grimm, Marketing Director of Vitrology
Limited commented: "We are pleased to have received this
approval which confirms the innovation energy of Vitrology
in the Bio Safety testing market and allows our clients based
in France to benefit from a tax incentive on any GMP/GLP studies
performed at Vitrology."
Vitrology Limited is a contract research organization
providing research and testing services to the animal health,
pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries for pre-clinical,
clinical and commercial biological drugs and vaccines.
For further information contact Philippe Grimm,
Marketing Director, Vitrology Limited
T: +33 479 61 21 92 – email: philippe.grimm@vitrologybiotech.com
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