Our company
THE STORY OF BIOSYnth
About us History
The history of BiosYnth intertwines with that of its founder, Massimo Porro. His career began at the prestigious Sienese company Sclavo spa, where, in the mid-1980s, he was the Head of the Department of Research on Bacterial Vaccines. In the early '80s, he moved to the United States to chase a dream. By the late '80s, BiosYnth had formed a partnership with Praxis Biologics Inc., an American company established to develop a vaccine against pneumococcal diseases. Massimo Porro led the team of scientists in this award-winning project in 1989, supported by a grant from the NIH (National Institute of Health) with the first human injection of the pneumococcal vaccine.
A first success that opened the doors to modern pediatric vaccinology with semi-synthetic vaccines. In 1990, following the NASDAQ listing of Praxis Biologics Inc, the company Lederle (Vaccine Department of the American Cyanamid Co.) acquired Praxis and the conjugated pneumococcal vaccine. That same year, BiosYnth inaugurated its new headquarters in Rapolano Terme (SI) and has since continued to collaborate with the most important companies in the sector.
THE STORY OF BIOSYnth
Our most important milestones
THE STORY OF BIOSYnth
The evolution of the BiosYnth laboratory campus from the '90s to today
The Birth of BiosYnth
The company was originally founded in Rochester, NY-USA, in 1986 by Dr. Massimo Porro, based on his pioneering work in designing glycoconjugate vaccines, based on the CRM197 carrier protein, for the prevention of bacterial meningitis in infants and young children caused by encapsulated Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In the early '90s, BiosYnth, as a Research and Development Company, was also established in Siena, Italy, a region where the vaccine culture has its roots in a heritage that began in 1904 with the Sclavo Institute for Vaccines. The uppercase Y in the company logo refers to the antibody structure with the meaning of defense against infections.
Some of these glycoconjugate vaccines, involving the non-toxic mutant diphtheria protein CRM197 covalently bound to capsular polysaccharides and oligosaccharides derived from the capsule of Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae, are now produced and marketed worldwide by two major vaccine manufacturers. Glycoconjugate vaccines are composed of poorly immunogenic antigens combined with more immunogenically efficient antigens. Their combination, through chemical synthesis, significantly increases the immunogenicity of the poorly immunogenic antigen. The success of these vaccines over the past thirty years has led them to be considered among the safest and most effective vaccines currently available in the field of modern clinical immunology. Millions of lives have been saved by the global use of these vaccines against IPD and IMD.
The BiosYnth research laboratory campus today
Since then, the BiosYnth Team has been discovering new technologies for
the continuous improvement of vaccines with passion and creativity.
In this landscape, BiosYnth is currently developing two main Technological
Platforms that contribute to opening new paths in the Field of Vaccinology.
1) 3rd Generation Glycoconjugate Vaccines for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria;
2) Sub-unit vaccines for viruses and bacteria based on a Nanostructured Vector System capable
of immediately enhancing the host's immune system.
Collaborations
For over three decades, BiosYnth has forged prominent collaborations with some of the most prestigious global entities in the field of human vaccine production. These alliances have amplified the reach and impact of BiosYnth's vaccine solutions, extending the benefits to an international community.
Over the years, BiosYnth has licensed its Intellectual Property to various industrial entities in the USA and EU. A significant openness to new collaborations has marked BiosYnth's journey, initiating a significant cooperation in the territory of the People's Republic of China, where the focus was on the production of polyvalent vaccines, including semi-synthetic glycoconjugate antigens against meningococcal and pneumococcal infections. The primary goal of this initiative was to adopt advanced technologies to make vaccines not only effective but also economically accessible to the Chinese pediatric population, an approach that reflects BiosYnth's dedication to universalizing access to care.
Another significant moment in the technological evolution of BiosYnth occurred with the foundation by BiosYnth and Menarini IFR, the latter recognized as the leading Italian pharmaceutical company, of VaxYnethic, a joint venture that marked the beginning of an ambitious initiative aimed at developing an advanced Technological platform not limited to the vaccine sector but extended to the biopharmaceutical sector. The collaborations of BiosYnth highlight a business model that places at its core collaborative innovation, the improvement of public health, and the accessibility of care considering the cost/benefit parameter. This rationally oriented strategy allows BiosYnth to maintain its leading position in the field of vaccine innovation technologies, contributing to the global fight against infectious diseases.
Interview from the Top Secret program of Business24 TV with Dr. Massimo Porro
