Plant Molecular Farming is the manufacture of high-value products using plant biotechnology. Pharma-Factory was conceived and designed by SMEs active in the field to produce medical, veterinary and diagnostic products. Product-driven work packages and a collective approach to public involvement and regulatory consultation will accelerate commercialisation of new bio-products, and increase the competitiveness of European bio-industry by resolving technical, social and economic bottlenecks in this field. All parts of the work programme are addressed by refining technologies using new synthetic biology tools, demonstrating manufacturing advantages for individual products, identifying a clear regulatory path for each platform technology, developing clear business cases with supporting techno-economic evaluations and life cycle analyses and improving public engagement and acceptance. Five SMEs will develop products that include arylsulfatase B (for human enzyme replacement therapy), a vaccine for infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus in fish, two highly potent HIV neutralising antibody-based fusion proteins and plant chimaeric virus-like-particles for a diagnostic kit. In collaboration with academic partners they will advance six plant molecular farming platforms for this purpose, including whole plants, algae, hairy roots and plant cell culture, by designing and developing new tools to increase the competitiveness, utility and versatility of each platform. All companies will reach Technology Readiness Level 5 within the lifetime of the project, with two products to be commercialized. The project provides a unique opportunity to improve public involvement with plant biotechnology at a European-wide level. A work package has been dedicated to gain maximal impact by engaging with all stakeholders – from scientists to government and the public at large, developing new tools to facilitate communication, to help understand and reduce barriers to acceptance.

At Diamante Società Benefit srl we leverage our proprietary Plant Molecular Farming Platform to develop cutting-edge treatments for autoimmune diseases through virus nanoparticles (VNP). Our patented protected VNPs’ mode of action is based on Antigen Specific Immunotehrapy. This means that our VNPs are able to re-educate the immune system to immune tolerate the specific body’s own cell (autoantigen) causing the disease. Our Proof-of-concept studies in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA - our first indication) animal models have shown complete remission of arthritic symptoms. Currently, there is no cure or preventive measure for this chronic condition; first-line treatments revolve around immunosuppression, causing several side effects. Our drug will be the first treatment based on the restoration of self-tolerance, while maintaining the immune system’s ability to defend itself; hence reducing potential harmful side effects. We are now seeking funding to cover the next clinical development steps.