Erbamont/Unigene calcitonin production
Executive Summary
Two firms announced development of a procedure that enables production of larger quantities of the hormone. They explained that a strain of bacteria able to synthesize high levels of an inactive precursor of calcitonin was genetically engineered. "Specific conversion of the C-terminus of this substrate to the active amidated product was then accomplished" using Unigene's single-step amidation process, the companies reported. The naturally occurring peptide stimulates the incorporation of calcium into bones.