Biolex

Biolex Therapeutics

Company type	Private
Industry	Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals
Founded	1997
Defunct	July 5, 2012 (2012-07-05)
Headquarters	Research Triangle, North Carolina , United States
Products	Complex recombinant proteins, therapeutic glycosylated proteins (monoclonal antibodies, interferon IFN-alpha2b)
Owner	Private investors (including Quaker BioVentures, The Trelys Funds, Polaris Venture Partners)

Biolex Therapeutics was a biotechnology enterprise located in North Carolina's Research Triangle, established in 1997 and having secured $190 million in funding from investors. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 5, 2012.

Focusing on the manufacture of complex recombinant proteins, Biolex utilized its proprietary LEX platform, which harnessed Lemna (duckweed), a small aquatic plant cultivated under sterile conditions. Through recombinant DNA technology, Biolex efficiently generated pharmaceutical proteins within Lemna, including therapeutic glycosylated proteins such as monoclonal antibodies and interferon (IFN-alpha2b).

In 2004, Biolex acquired Epicyte Pharmaceutical Inc., followed by the purchase of LemnaGene SA based in Lyon, France, in 2005. Initially a privately owned firm, it received backing from Quaker BioVentures, The Trelys Funds, and Polaris Venture Partners. The company held the trademark for the term "plantibody." In May 2012, Biolex divested its LEX System to Synthon, a specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in the Netherlands. This transaction encompassed two preclinical biologics developed with the LEX System: BLX-301, a humanized and glyco-optimized anti-CD20 antibody aimed at non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma and other B-cell cancers, and BLX-155, a direct-acting thrombolytic agent. The financial details of the deal were not made public.

External links

• Official site
• Information on therapeutic protein production in Lemna