Origen Therapeutics has developed a powerful, broad-based technology platform centered on the isolation and culture of avian primordial germ cells (PGCs). Using technology proprietary to Origen Therapeutics, primordial germ cells can be cultured and genetically modified and will develop into sperm and eggs making them the vehicle of choice for modification of the chicken genome.

Briefly, a gene of interest is introduced into a primordial germ cell culture and then cells from this culture are injected into chick embryos producing founder chickens. The founder chickens are bred to produce a flock that can lay eggs containing the recombinant antibody or protein of interest.

While the use of eggs as a source of pharmaceuticals may seem novel in fact, each year millions of does of flu vaccine are produced in chicken eggs making egg based production systems well known to the biologics industry.