LELAND, N.C., Aug. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cygnus Technologies, part of Maravai LifeSciences (Maravai) (NASDAQ: MRVI), the leading product and services provider for the detection and characterization of process-related impurities in biopharmaceuticals, received a 2023 R&D 100 Award from R&D World Magazine in the Analytical/Test category for the MockV^® RVLP Kit.

The MockV^® RVLP Kit enables bioprocess scientists to determine Retrovirus Like Particle (RVLP) removal during biopharmaceutical manufacturing in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines. The kit includes a biosafety level-1 (BSL-1) compatible RVLP stock solution and all the necessary reagents to quantify RVLP removal using a 96-well plate assay in less than one day.

“We are honored to be recognized among many innovative companies pushing the boundaries of what is possible in R&D,” said Christine Dolan, Cygnus Technologies Chief Operating Officer. “This award exemplifies our dedication to improving biopharmaceutical manufacturing safety with our accurate and reliable MockV^® viral clearance technology. We thank the staff at R&D World and the esteemed judging panel for recognizing the ingenuity of product line inventor, David Cetlin, and his team at Cygnus.”

“During the production of monoclonal antibody therapies, regulatory agencies require proof that downstream purification steps can effectively remove or inactivate retrovirus. Historically, this has been demonstrated through the use of a model mammalian virus, Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus (XMuLV), which requires high costs and specialized contract research organization (CRO)-led viral clearance “spiking” studies,” commented David Cetlin, Cygnus Technologies Senior Director of R&D. “Using the MockV^® RVLP Kit, scientists can gain actionable insight into retroviral clearance whenever they wish, from their own lab bench, at a fraction of the costs associated with XMuLV studies.”

Cygnus’s MockV^® technology addresses the barriers imposed by live viral clearance studies through novel viral surrogates called Mock Viral Particles (MVPs). MVPs are engineered to mimic the physical and chemical characteristics of viruses but are non-infectious and can be handled safely and easily to predict the outcomes of CRO-led spiking studies early in process development. Cygnus’s MockV^® RVLP Kit enables biopharmaceutical companies to develop manufacturing processes to effectively remove viral impurities for the production of safe biotherapeutics.

About the R&D 100 Awards

Established in 1963, the R&D 100 Awards is the only S&T (science and technology) awards competition that recognizes new commercial products, technologies and materials for their technological significance that are available for sale or license. The R&D 100 Awards program identifies and celebrates the top 100 revolutionary technologies of the past year. Learn more at www.rd100awards.com.

About Cygnus Technologies, LLC

Cygnus Technologies, part of Maravai LifeSciences, is the biopharmaceutical industry’s partner in host cell protein (HCP) and other process-related impurity detection and analytics as well as in innovative viral clearance solutions. Cygnus helps companies developing therapeutic proteins, vaccines, antibodies, plasma derivatives and gene therapies to ensure the safety of biotherapeutics prior to human trials, regulatory approval and commercial release. For more information on Cygnus Technologies, please visit www.cygnustechnologies.com.

About Maravai

Maravai is a leading life sciences company providing critical products to enable the development of drug therapies, diagnostics and novel vaccines. Maravai’s companies are leaders in providing products and services in the fields of nucleic acid synthesis and biologics safety testing to many of the world's leading biopharmaceutical, vaccine, diagnostics, and cell and gene therapy companies.

For more information about Maravai LifeSciences, visit www.maravai.com.