SwiftScale Biologics
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SwiftScale uses cell-free to manufacture biologics. Founded in 2019 by David Mace & Weston Kightlinger, the company is centered on work from Matthew DeLisa & Michael Jewett’s labs (also founders) to produce glycoproteins with a cell-free system.
The platform uses components from E. coli giving it a blank slate for bottom-up engineering for any glycoprotein. The key breakthrough was to combine glyco-enriched (OST/LLO) extracts with DNA encoding the glycosylation target https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05110-x
For mAbs, E. coli has been limited by its inability to naturally produce glycosylated proteins. As an EIR at 8VC, Mace drove the formation of SwiftScale, leading work to produce a COVID antibody candidate. Showing an ability to go from DNA sequence to clinical doses in months.
Leading to its acquisition by Resilience in 2021. Showing the potential of cell-free to speed up drug development & ensure that candidates are chosen for their quality rather than cellular manufacturing limitations https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211202005349/en/Resilience-Acquires-SwiftScale-Biologics-a-Leader-in-Cell-Free-Protein-Synthesis-Technology