EnWave Corporation announced it has successfully dried three different antibodies in the Company's prototype freezeREV vial dehydration technology. Results from this study showed no detectable visual difference between freezeREV-dried and freeze dried samples when examined with the SDS-PAGE electrophoresis method. Additionally, the indication of the molecular weight was similar between the two dried samples and liquid antibodies. Freeze drying, or lyophilization, is the current industry standard for dehydrating live or active organisms such as antibodies.
Freeze drying can be particularly harsh on sensitive materials such as antibodies because of the length of time the organisms are exposed to extremely low temperatures. The freezeREV prototype has been designed to significantly reduce the drying time and temperature exposure from days, to minutes or hours, creating the potential for a high-speed, cost effective dehydration technology. The Company believes that a commercial-scale freezeREV machine could reduce the costs of dehydration for live or active pharmaceuticals and reagents by as much as 80%.