As an insect cell line derived from the ovarian tissue of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf), the Sf9 cell line in concert with recombinant baculoviruses, has been widely utilized for manufacturing biologicals, including recombinant proteins, vaccines, and rAAV-based gene therapy vectors. The Sf9 cell rAAV production system has been shown to produce high yields of rAAV products containing vector genomes. However, Sf9 cell lines persistently carries Sf rhabdovirus (Sf-RV), an enveloped, negative sense and single stranded RNA (-ssRNA) virus. Although Sf-RV is an insect-specific virus and non-infectious to mammalian and human cell lines, using a Sf-RV containing Sf9 cell line for producing biologicals has potential viral safety risks that are required to be mitigated by international regulatory authorities during biopharmaceutical production.

When using serum-free suspension culture, Avirmax CMC's Sf-RVF™ cell lines have been shown to be comparable with respect to rAAV yields and quality, relative to rAAV produced using Sf-RV parental cell lines. "By implementing our Sf-RVF™ cell lines, the Sf-RV safety margin of biologic product has been increased by more than 1 billion-fold", commented Shengjiang Shawn Liu, Ph.D., DVM, chief executive and scientific officer of the company. Avirmax CMC Inc. is now using the Sf-RVF™ cell lines in rAAV manufacturing for research and clinical development purposes. Avirmax CMC Inc. is also expanding the Sf-RVF™ cell lines to the production of other modalities including vaccines and protein drugs.

Avirmax CMC Inc. (ACI) is a subsidiary of Avirmax Inc., a San Francisco Bay Area based firm working on technological solutions to challenges associated with rAAV manufacturing and testing. .