PlantForm Named 2017 DefenseTechConnect Innovation Award Winner

PlantForm Corporation has been named a 2017 DefenseTechConnect Innovation Award winner at the Defense Innovation Summit (DITAC) in Tampa, Florida.

The award goes to the top 15 per cent of innovations submitted to the DITAC program committee, with rankings based on the potential positive impact the submitted technology will have for the warfighter and national security.

PlantForm is developing plant-produced trastuzumab as a nerve regeneration drug for acute trauma patients, a novel indication for the monoclonal antibody, which is widely used for the treatment of breast cancer under the brand name Herceptin®. Research at The Hospital For Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto has shown trastuzumab to be effective in accelerating the regeneration of peripheral nerves.

“Nerve damage from acute trauma has a devastating impact on quality of life with significant health-care and long-term disability costs,” said Don Stewart, PlantForm President and CEO. “Trastuzumab has the potential to improve patient outcomes as an effective, affordable remedy for traumatic nerve injuries in both civilian and military situations.”

PlantForm has successfully produced trastuzumab using the company’s proprietary vivoXPRESS biopharmaceutical manufacturing platform and has licensed the intellectual property rights from SickKids to commercialize trastuzumab for this novel indication.

Stewart presents the technology innovation at DITAC in the regenerative medicine area of the medical and biotech track, Defense Medical Technology Challenge II, at 3:20 p.m. today.

About PlantForm Corporation
PlantForm Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the rapid development and production of specialty antibody and protein drugs using the company’s proprietary vivoXPRESS platform. The plant-based vivoXPRESS system makes it easier, faster and less expensive to produce approved biologic drugs for novel indications and new markets. The company’s pipeline includes trastuzumab for a novel indication in nerve regeneration; biosimilar versions of Lucentis and other niche indication drugs; and medical countermeasures to terrorism threats such as ricin and sarin. For more information, visit www.plantformcorp.com.