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Although CDAP is widely used in conjugate vaccines and simple in principle, much of the methodology is proprietary and unpublished.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: Info@FinaBio.com
About the Course Instructors
Course director Dr. Andrew Lees, founder and CEO of Fina Biosolutions, holds over 30 patents and is the author or co-author of more than 80 peer-reviewed papers, mainly in the field of conjugate vaccines. Dr. Lees is the inventor of the now widely used CDAP vaccine conjugation technology. Since the first publication of the technology in 1993, he has worked to improve and simplify CDAP chemistry. Dr. Lees is also an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development, the Uniformed Services University, Dept. of Medicine, and the University of Toledo, Dept. of Chemistry. Dr. Lees received his BS in chemistry from Harvey Mudd College (1976) and his Ph.D. in Biophysics from Johns Hopkins (1984). Honors include the Uniformed Services Meritorious Service Award, the Harvey Mudd College Outstanding Alumni Award, the Johns Hopkins Distinguished Alumni Award, and the American Chemical Society Horton Award for Outstanding Contributions to Industrial Carbohydrate Chemistry.
Co-Instructors
Dr. Maya Zayats is Director of Conjugation Science at Fina Biosolutions. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Dr. Zayats has a wealth of experience in bioconjugation, assay development, and analytical chemistry. In addition to her extensive experience in conjugation, she is an expert in Design of Experiment, used to optimize conjugation and is a graduate of the Wyatt/Waters Light Scattering University.
Dr. Peter Ftacek is the Analytical Director at Fina Biosolutions, where he also serves as a conjugation scientist. He is well-versed in HPLC, SEC-MALS, and the chemistry and analysis of polysaccharide–protein conjugates. Dr. Ftacek holds an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. He conducted his doctoral research at the Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, focusing on the preparation and structural analysis of bacterial polysaccharides, with specialized expertise in GC-MS and MALDI-TOF. He completed his postdoctoral training and subsequently worked in the laboratory of Dr. John B. Robbins at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland—an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of conjugate vaccine development. There, Dr. Ftacek deepened his knowledge of conjugate vaccine design, synthesis, and analytical characterization, and gained experience evaluating vaccine efficacy in animal models using a range of immunological methods.
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.