Biovest's AutovaxID cleared for commercial sale

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., May 10 -Biovest International, Inc. received word from the Food and Drug Administration that its patent-pending AutovaxID device requires no further review, allowing Biovest to start selling the device.

AutovaxID enables cost-effective, scalable production of cells or cell-derived products such as monoclonal antibodies for personalized medicine applications, according to a news release.

Potential applications include production of vaccines to treat a variety of diseases, as well as stem-cell amplification for therapeutic uses. AutovaxID is a reusable device that hosts a companion single-use, disposable, closed-system chamber containing a hollow-fiber cell-growth cartridge.

This instrument has the potential to replace conventional cell-growth chambers that require up to 10 times as much laboratory space, as well as additional labor and increased expenses, the release said.

"This is an important advancement in the use of cell-culture techniques for production of complex biologics, especially those for personalized medicine applications. For the first time, with AutovaxID, such production is less susceptible to contamination, more reliable and truly economical," Biovest chairman and chief executive officer Steve Arikian said in the release.

A majority-owned subsidiary of Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., Biovest develops individualized immunotherapies for life-threatening cancers of the blood system. The company is based in Worcester, Mass.

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