DKIS LLC is biopharmaceutical start-up company developing novel Hepatitis C virus-like particle (HCV-VLP) called ISVAC™

  • ISVAC™ displays strong immunostimulatory properties that may become efficient in treatment of deadly diseases, most notably Hepatitis C and asthma. Formal rodent toxicology studies demonstrated high safety of ISVAC™.
  • ISVAC™ is obtained in BHK-21 cells by novel proprietory technology utilizing FMDV replication in trans for amplifying mRNA coding the target genes. This method may become novel platform technology for expression of complex polypeptides in BHK-21.
  • DKIS LLC team executes cost- and time-efficient clinical development of ISVAC™ in Russia, while upholding global standards of production and research, thus keeping avenues for global development open.

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  • Technology

    This method allows efficient production of HCV-VLP in cost-effective BHK-21 cell culture that provides physiologically-relevant conditions for formation of VLP lipoprotein coating. Producing VLPs of coated viruses, such as Hepatitis C virus, is a complex technological feat. The key issue is achieving efficient expression of virus structural proteins in eukaryotic cell culture that would provide physiologically-relevant environment for VLP folding and post-translational modification. Formation of virus lipoprotein coating is complex process dependent on cellular environment. Existing technology of producing HCV-VLPs in insect cells failed to produce VLPs with useful properties, possibly due to differences of insect cell environment from the human cell one. We achieved efficient production of HCV-VLPs in BHK-21 cells that is industrial cell culture, providing cell environment closest to that of human cells. In order to do that, we developed proprietary patented technology that employs replication enzymes of FMDV (foot-and-mouth disease virus) to replicate in trans the mRNA that codes for genes of HCV structural proteins. In principle, this technology may be employed to express other genes of interest thus offering novel platform of eukaryotic expression. Find out more about DKIS technology

  • Product

    Virus-like particles (VLPs) are useful biological nanoparticles that became fashionable product of modern biotechnology. They have several distinct potential applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to microelectronics. In the field of pharmaceuticals, VLPs may serve as vaccines or tools for delivering distinct agents to biological tissues. Revolutionary break-throughs recently happened in the immunological applications of uncoated virus VLPs, such as papillomavirus and adenovirus. However, these VLPs have certain disadvantages that warm up the interest to obtaining novel coated VLPs. HCV-VLP, being the coated one, is of additional interest due to social importance of the underlying disease of Hepatitis C. Our product ISVAC™, that is HCV-VLP obtained in BHK-21 cells using our "FMDV Trans-replication" method, displays dramatic immunostimulatory activities that promice to become very useful in treating numerous deadly diseases, most notably hepatitis C and asthma. Find out more about DKIS product ISVAC™

  • Business plan

    DKIS LLC business plan is based on the contemporary model of pharmaceutical development that utilizes benefits of pharmaceutical development in emerging markets while preparing product for further development in global markets. This model calls for reaching clinical studies stage II in emerging markets and then moving into developed markets with strong clinical data. Such approach allows utilizing significant time and cost savings that occur in emerging markets due to easier patient and professional recruitment. Still, this approach demands uphoding the highest quality and etical standards at each step of production and research. Find out more about DKIS business