Drug given to American Ebola patients is produced in Kentucky using tobacco plants
The drug being credited with potentially saving the lives of two American missionaries infected with the deadly Ebola virus was produced in Owensboro.
The serum wasn't manufactured but grown — in a greenhouse full of genetically modified tobacco plants.
Kentucky BioProcessing, acquired by Reynolds American in January, conducts contract research and development for San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical, said David Howard, spokesman for RAI Ser vices, a subsidiary of Reynolds American.
"In the last week, Kentucky BioProcessing complied with a request from Emory University and Samaritan's Purse to provide a very limited amount (of the compound) to Emory, and KPB has done that," Howard said.
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In Owensboro, tobacco plants are "infected" with the protein, he said, and then they reproduce it "like a photocopier."
The desired proteins are extracted from the plants and purified into a serum.
Scientists have long known that tobacco readily picks up genes inserted into it. The Owensboro facility uses that ability to quickly and inexpensively produce large volumes of a compound within weeks.
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/08/04/3365612/drug-given-to-american-ebola-victims.html?sp=%2F99%2F322%2F&ihp=1#storylink=cpy
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