The cost is so high because the enzyme is currently purified from human placenta, with 2,000 to 8,000 placentas required to create a single dose of the drug. Cramer said one tobacco plant is expected to provide enough of the enzyme for at least one dose, and possibly more. While the potential for another, cheaper source of the drug is good news for the estimated 2,000 Americans with Gaucher disease, Cramer said the techniques and understanding developed in the process are what is really exciting. In fact, CropTech is working on other drugs and therapeutics right now. Tracy Wilkins, director of the Fralin Center, expects the biotechnology center to help researchers in similar efforts to bridge the gap between science and business.
Biotechnology is the application of science.
We will show students how to put science to actual use. Some of the seven faculty members who maintain offices and laboratories in the Fralin Center also work for or helped found companies in the Corporate Research Center. The center interacts with these Virginia companies to enhance technology transfer and increase the competitiveness of Virginia's biotechnology industry.