Fina Biosolutions (FinaBio) is pleased to offer a comprehensive course on conjugation using CDAP chemistry. FinaBio’s founder and scientific director, Dr. Andrew Lees, developed the CDAP conjugation method in 1993. This training encompasses the basic method of polysaccharide activation for conjugation using CDAP chemistry as described in Lees et al., (Vaccine, 14:190, 1996), plus additional important details and improvements made through the years since its publication, which are crucial for successful conjugation. Although CDAP is widely used in conjugate vaccines and simple in principle, much of the methodology is proprietary and unpublished.
CDAP chemistry is used in GSK’s pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Synflorix®) and Pfizer’s meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Nimenrix®). In addition, the chemistry is employed in a number of vaccines in development, including the Serum Institute of India’s vaccines for pneumococcal and meningococcal diseases, which are currently in advanced clinical trials.
Dr. Lees, assisted by FinaBio staff, shares his 25+ years of experience and expertise with CDAP chemistry and optimization. The training program provides both theoretical and hands-on training in conjugate vaccine synthesis using CDAP to maximize the efficiency of production and quality of the product. Additionally, evaluation and analytical methods by SEC MALS will be reviewed. The course can be tailored to the client’s vaccine interests.
At the end of the program, the student will have a mastery of the elements of CDAP conjugation that are applicable to the development of virtually any conjugate vaccine. The course is designed to educate those developing new vaccines, to educate scientists in the key elements of the CDAP process that impact stability and quality, and for those in operations who are interested in improvement of current vaccine conjugate methodologies.
The training program includes:
- Multi-day seminar on CDAP chemistry
- Hands-on Laboratory training
- Conjugation optimization by applying Design of Experiment (DOE)
- Analysis of conjugate vaccines using SEC MALS
Training is customized to client’s needs. Standard program is 8 days.
Inquiries: [email protected]
About the Course Instructors
Dr. Andrew Lees, founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Fina Biosolutions, holds over 25 patents and is the author or co-author of more than 60 peer-reviewed papers. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from The Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Lees is also an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Center for Vaccine Development, an affiliate at the University of Maryland Bioprocessing Scale-Up Facility and an adjunct professor in the Department of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University. He teaches protein chromatography through the post-graduate level and is a frequent speaker on conjugation chemistry and biotech entrepreneurship.
Dr. Samson Gebretnsae, a Ph.D. organic chemist with postdoctoral experience at Novartis Pharma, is an experienced conjugation scientist. He is a graduate of Wyatt Technologies “Light Scattering University” and specializes in the use of SEC-MALS in the characterization of conjugate vaccines. Dr. Gebretnsae is also an expert on design of experiment (DOE) and directs FinaBio’s conjugation optimization program.
About Fina Biosolutions
Fina Biosolutions was founded in 2006 to help emerging market vaccine manufacturers learn to make affordable protein polysaccharide conjugates for vaccines. FinaBio is now a premier provider of conjugate vaccine laboratory and consulting services for the Biotech and Vaccine industry. We are located in the heart of Maryland’s biotechnology corridor, close to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and many global biopharmaceutical companies. We have a well-equipped laboratory for molecular biology and protein expression, conjugation, and conjugate vaccine characterization.