It’s Starting to Look a lot Like BIO…

The pre-event planning material for the BIO 2008 conference is pouring in fast and furious. (Do you plan to attend? Would you like to meet? Please contact me to arrange arubenstein@rnaventures.com). So whilst perusing the Product Focus Zone publication I was incredibly excited to see BaroFold (Boulder) highlighted in the Protein Therapeutics chapter. Jeff Cleland, Ph.D., VP of Therapeutic Development will be presenting BaroFold at this year’s BIO and was heavily quoted throughout the chapter highlighting the protein therapeutics market and in particular the proprietary PreEMT protein refolding technology that incorporates the use of high hydrostatic pressure to force water between protein molecules causing the dissociation of aggregates and thereby forcing the protein into its most compact form. Traditional aggregate removal techniques as part of the manufacturing process include chaotropic agents like guanidine hydrocholoride or urea to solubilize hydrophobic proteins which must then be removed. The PreEMT technology reduces the complexity of the manufacturing process and improves the quality of the protein therapeutic by increasing yield, homogeneity, stability and reducing production cost.

In other recent BaroFold news Mr. Jon Saxe, JD, LLM has joined the Board of Directors. Most recently Mr. Saxe was President of PDL Biopharma (NASDAQ: PDLI), then Protein Design Labs.

Finally, BaroFeron, a proprietary recombinant human interferon beta being developed for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, is expected to enter Phase I trials in 2H08. BaroFeron may be differentiated from other interferon-beta products by improved safety and greater bioavailability enabled by BaroFold's proprietary PreEMTTM technology.

It is exciting to see Colorado already shinning on the global BIO stage. Plenty more to come on BIO…

*NOTE* Feel the power of the Colorado BioScience Association (HERE)!
*NOTE* Take a look at the new Boulder Biotech Company Tree (HERE)!
*NOTE* Read the new eBook CLSDF 2007 - What's In A Year? (HERE)!

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BaroFeron™ Finds Manufacturing Home

BaroFold continues to march, achieving milestone after milestone. Congratulations are in order now for striking a process development and cGMP manufacturing agreement for their lead compound BaroFeron™ (interferon beta-1b) with Avecia Biologics.

Avecia will incorporate BaroFold's PreEMT™ hydrostatic pressure technology which enables improved, safer, proprietary protein therapeutics, providing product life-cycle extensions and creating new protein therapeutics through the use of a patented protein refolding technology.

Next up…complete scale-up and the drug manufacturing process.

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Right Place at the Right Time

Last week was the right time at the right place for a meeting at the beautiful new BaroFold offices where I was afforded an opportunity to watch a doe enjoy an afternoon snack of some apples right off the tree.

Protein Origami – BaroFold Style

Among the most common difficulties bio-pharma is faced with when producing recombinant therapeutic proteins is that of protein clumping or aggregation. Such protein aggregation may result in adverse events in patients, limited effectiveness, and a reduction in production yields, at times by as much as 50%, proving to be an incredible cost center.

BaroFold, Inc. has derived and patented a new protein processing technology that refolds the recombinant proteins at higher concentrations then traditional methods for combating the aggregation problem - historically, utilizing chemical solubilization and column chromatography techniques. BaroFold’s new and revolutionary methodology employs a protein disaggregation and refolding technology which provides yields of nearly 100% using a simple, reliable and rapid process that is easily adapted to either commercial industrial scale or research application size.

The BaroFold advantages are several:

• May provide significant production cost savings
• Removal of aggregates may represent significantly safer product
• Product yields may be markedly increased
• Such yields may increase increase production capacity

Under the leadership of Dr. Lyndal Hesterberg, Ph.D. who brings twenty-five years of senior management experience in recombinant therapeutic proteins with prior posts at Syngene, Amgen, BioStar and, SomaLogic, a sophisticated multi-channel business model has not only been derived but is being executed upon with approximately 20 pharmaceutical protein licenses to date, thereby participating in real free cash flow. Co-scientific founders Dr.’s John Carpenter and Theodore Randolph are truly leading the charge in next-generation protein biochemistry while directing the University of Colorado’s Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

BaroFold, Inc. has truly mastered the not so ancient art of ori-tanpakushitsu, protein folding.

For investor information contact me or Lyndal Hesterberg, Ph.D..

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