Epicyte

Epicyte was a biotechnology company focused on the development of human monoclonal antibodies produced in transgenic plants, a technology referred to as "plantibodies." The company's platform aimed to provide a cost-effective and scalable alternative to traditional mammalian cell culture for the manufacturing of complex biopharmaceuticals. Epicyte's pipeline included candidates for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), as well as applications in mucosal immunity and contraception. The company established significant partnerships with Dow Chemical and Centocor to advance its plant-based production systems. Epicyte was acquired by Biolex in 2004, integrating its intellectual property and antibody programs into Biolex's protein expression platform.