About InVitria

Who We Are

InVitria, Inc. is a U.S.-based biotechnology company that develops and manufactures recombinant, animal-origin-free proteins for biopharmaceutical manufacturing and formulation. Headquartered in Junction City, Kansas, with commercial offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, InVitria leverages the proprietary ExpressTec® platform — a rice grain–based expression system — to produce highly pure, consistent proteins without human or animal-derived components. InVitria operates under ISO 9001:2015 certification and cGMP-compliant processes. Its recombinant human serum albumin product, Exbumin®, is used as an excipient in ERVEBO®, representing the first FDA- and EMA-approved use of recombinant albumin in an injectable biologic. Today, InVitria supports more than 1,000 customers globally with a portfolio of over 30 on-market products, available worldwide through InVitria and authorized life-science distribution partners.

Our Roots

InVitria’s heritage spans more than three decades of plant-based recombinant protein development. The company traces its origins to a California biotechnology firm — originally Applied Phytologics, founded in 1993, and renamed Ventria Bioscience in 2002 — that pioneered the use of rice grain as a production host for recombinant proteins. The ExpressTec platform was developed in 1997, with commercial-scale production initiated the following year. The platform has supported continuous commercial production for more than 25 years.

The InVitria brand was established in 2006, with the Junction City, Kansas bioprocessing facility announced that September. The first InVitria products — Lacromin®, Lysobac®, and Cellastim® — were on market by November 2006 and remain part of the InVitria portfolio today. For nearly two decades, InVitria has supported customers across cell and gene therapy, vaccines, and biopharmaceutical formulation. In 2023, the InVitria identity was consolidated into the company’s primary operating corporation, unifying the long-established brand and operating identity into a single entity focused exclusively on recombinant proteins for biopharmaceutical applications.

In the years since, InVitria has expanded its global commercial presence — opening a Cambridge, Massachusetts office in December 2023 to anchor its position in the North American biotech corridor, followed by a Rotterdam, Netherlands office in October 2024 to support European customers across cell and gene therapy and biopharmaceutical formulation.

Today, InVitria carries forward more than three decades of plant-based recombinant protein expertise, with a focused mission: replace animal- and human-derived components in critical biomanufacturing workflows with consistent, scalable, recombinant alternatives.

What We Do

InVitria develops and manufactures recombinant, animal-origin-free proteins used in cell culture, biomanufacturing, and final formulation. Produced using the ExpressTec plant-based expression system, these proteins are made without human or animal-derived components, enabling consistent performance and scalable supply. Our products are designed to replace serum and serum-derived proteins, which introduce variability, supply constraints, and risk of adventitious contaminants. By transitioning to chemically defined recombinant proteins, customers improve process consistency, reduce risk, and support regulatory expectations for safer, more controlled manufacturing systems. InVitria supports applications across vaccines, biologics, and cell and gene therapy, with products used from early development through commercial manufacturing. Our technical team works directly with scientists and process development groups to support implementation, optimization, and scale-up in real-world workflows.

Why It Matters

For decades, biopharmaceutical manufacturing has relied on serum and blood-derived components. These materials introduce:

• Lot-to-lot variability
• Risk of contamination from human or animal sources
• Supply chain limitations
• Challenges with regulatory consistency

InVitria’s recombinant proteins address these issues directly by providing:

• Chemically defined, animal-origin-free alternatives
• High purity and structural consistency
• Reliable, scalable supply
• Proven performance across critical workflows

These advantages help reduce process risk, improve reproducibility, and support the development of safer, more consistent biologic therapies.

Proven in Approved Biologics

A key milestone in InVitria’s history was the use of Exbumin® as an excipient in ERVEBO, the first FDA- and EMA-approved vaccine to include recombinant human serum albumin.
This established a precedent for the use of recombinant, animal-origin-free proteins in injectable biologics and demonstrated that these materials can meet stringent regulatory and performance requirements.

Our Platform: ExpressTec

The ExpressTec platform uses rice grain as a production host for recombinant proteins. This approach enables:

• Elimination of animal and human-derived components
• High expression levels and scalability
• Consistent product quality across batches
• A controlled, secure manufacturing system

ExpressTec has been in continuous commercial production since 1998 — more than 25 years — and supports the manufacture of critical proteins used in vaccines, cell and gene therapies, and other advanced biologics. InVitria’s products — including Optibumin®, Optiferrin®, Cellastim®, Exbumin®, Lacromin®, Lysobac®, and the ITSE+A™ family of supplements — are all manufactured using the ExpressTec platform at InVitria’s facility in Junction City, Kansas.

Supporting Your Work

InVitria works closely with scientists, process development teams, and manufacturing groups to integrate recombinant proteins into existing and new workflows.
Support includes:

• Application-specific guidance
• Process optimization support
• Scale-up considerations
• Technical data and documentation

Whether transitioning away from serum or optimizing a defined system, InVitria provides the materials and expertise to support consistent, scalable results.

Scott E. Deeter, CEO

Mr. Deeter is InVitria’s Founder and CEO.  Previously, he started and led a joint venture between Cargill and F. Hoffmann-La Roche that commercialized several novel pharmaceutical ingredients derived from plants.  Scott has served as President and CEO of CyberCrop and was a member of the Technology and Life Sciences Group of Salomon Brothers.  He is a graduate of the University of Kansas, University of Chicago, and London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ron Backman, Vice President, Quality

Mr. Backman leads InVitria’s Quality Assurance and Quality Control. He has over 23 years of biopharmaceutical Quality experience with increasing responsibilities throughout his career. He joined the company after managing Product Quality, Stability and Microbiology services at KBI Biopharma, a global contract development & manufacturing organization. Prior to KBI Biopharma he managed Quality Control and Support at Diosynth Biotechnology. Ron started his career in the Quality department of Boehringer Ingelheim. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Kansas State University.

Jacob Weber, Ph.D., Vice President, Process Development

Dr. Weber leads the scale-up of new methods for processing and purifying recombinant proteins in a sustainable and reliable. Prior to working with the Company, Dr. Weber was a Quality Control Engineer for Park Aerospace Technologies Corp. Dr. Weber received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Kansas State University and a  Bachelor of Arts in Natural Science from Bethel College.

Sydney Orel, Director, Quality Control

Mrs. Orel leads Quality Control. She has responsibility for product testing to rigorous standards and coordinates product release for sale. Previously, she was Microbiology Supervisor for Kansas Department of Agriculture where she also started her career as a Laboratory Technician.  She is currently completing a Master of Science in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins- Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and previously received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Washburn University.

Crissa A. Seymour Cook, IP Counsel

Crissa is a U.S. Patent Attorney and serves as outside counsel for InVitria.  She advises InVitria on every aspect of its intellectual property, including all domestic and foreign patent and trademark matters, related contracts, due diligence matters, enforcement, and dispute resolution. Crissa is a Partner with Hovey Williams LLP, a law firm founded in 1929 and focused exclusively on intellectual property law. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Kansas School of Law since 2012, where she teaches courses in patent law and patent practice.

Marcus Curl, Vice President, Product Applications

Mr. Curl leads the Product Applications team working with leading developers in cell and gene therapy and vaccines to help them improve their workflows by implementing recombinant, scalable and sustainable solutions for biomanufacturing and final formulation. He has been instrumental in establishing the customer opportunity pipeline and has account management responsibilities in Europe and UK.  His responsibilities are global where he has developed an unique perspective valued by customers. Mr. Curl received his B.S. in Biology from Pitzer College, one of the Claremont Colleges. Request a Meeting with Marcus

Elliott Renft, Director, Product Applications North America

Mr. Renft  oversees Product Applications for accounts in North America. He works with customers to optimize workflows using recombinant, scalable and sustainable technologies. He facilitate the implementation of InVitria products in cell and gene therapies, vaccines, medical devices, and biologic formulation. Before joining InVitria, he had responsibility for commercial activities within the Interventional division of Becton, Dickinson and Company. There he worked with clinicians to deliver bio surgical devices for patients. Mr. Renft received his Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a Minor in Business from the University of Kansas. Request a Meeting with Elliott 

Jake Hanks, Business Development Director

Mr. Hanks serves as a Business Development Manager supporting InVitria’s key accounts. He focuses on developing strategic partnerships to support customers through evaluation, qualification, regulatory approval and scale-up. He works closely with the Product Applications Team. Previously, Mr. Hanks worked for BOK Financial as a member of the commercial banking group. He also served as a Business Development Manager for Synergy One lending. Mr. Hanks received his Bachelor of Science and his MBA from the University of Tulsa while a member of their Division 1 football team.

Alexia Armstrong, Director of Marketing

Ms. Armstrong leads InVitria’s marketing with over 20 years of life sciences and biotech experience. Her expertise includes product and channel marketing, content creation, digital campaigns, and brand strategy, particularly in cell and gene therapy, vaccines, and biopharma. Alexia has a proven track record of boosting brand awareness, market penetration, and customer engagement. Before InVitria, she held leadership roles at Eppendorf and Waters Corporation, managing multi-channel programs and driving growth. She holds an Associate’s degree in Liberal Studies from Dean College.

InVitria products are available through multiple purchasing pathways to meet a wide range of customer procurement and operational requirements.

Direct from InVitria

Most InVitria customers work with us directly. Direct relationships provide:

• Full access to the InVitria product portfolio, including custom formulations and specifications
• Bulk and commercial-scale supply with requirements contracts and forecast-based planning
• GMP supply commitments, priority allocation, and dedicated regulatory documentation support
• Technical Summaries providing CMC-style documentation to support customer regulatory submissions, including IND, BLA, and comparable global filings
• Change notification policies, Certificates of Analysis, and Animal Component Free statements
• Direct technical engagement with InVitria’s application scientists and process development team
• Co-development opportunities for application-specific work

Global Fulfillment

InVitria fulfills North American orders directly from its Junction City, Kansas headquarters. European customers can order with direct fulfillment from InVitria’s Rotterdam, Netherlands facility, reducing lead times and simplifying cold-chain logistics for cell culture, biopharmaceutical, and cell and gene therapy applications across the EU.
To begin a direct relationship, contact us and an InVitria team member will route you to the appropriate scientist or commercial partner

Through Major Procurement Channels

For customers whose institutional procurement systems require ordering through established supplier channels, InVitria products can also be ordered through Fisher Scientific and VWR. These channels are typically the right fit for research-scale orders placed alongside other laboratory supplies through existing distributor accounts. Orders placed through these channels are fulfilled directly by InVitria.

Through Procurement Platform Integration (Labviva)

InVitria partners with Labviva to support customers whose institutional procurement systems — including Ariba, Coupa, Oracle, and Jaggaer — require integrated supplier listings. The Labviva integration enables direct customer relationships with InVitria within the customer’s existing purchasing workflow. To inquire about adding InVitria to your Labviva-integrated procurement system, contact us.

Customer Support — All Channels

Regardless of how you order InVitria products, you receive the same products, the same Certificates of Analysis, and the same technical support from InVitria’s application scientists. InVitria’s commercial and technical teams are available to support customers across all purchasing channels.

Our Locations

Headquarters — Junction City, Kansas InVitria, Inc. 2718 Industrial Drive Junction City, KS 66441 USA Phone: 800-916-8311 Fax: 785-238-5688
Cambridge, Massachusetts InVitria, Inc. One Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
Rotterdam, the Netherlands InVitria, Inc. Groot Handelsgebouw Stationsplein 45, Unit A4 004 3013 AK Rotterdam The Netherlands

What does InVitria make?

InVitria develops and manufactures recombinant, animal-origin-free proteins for cell culture, biomanufacturing, and final formulation. The product portfolio includes recombinant human serum albumin (Optibumin®, Cellastim®, Exbumin®), recombinant human transferrin (Optiferrin®), recombinant human lactoferrin (Lacromin®), recombinant human lysozyme (Lysobac®), and serum-free supplements (ITSE+A™, ITSE Animal-Free®, ITS AF).

Where is InVitria located?

InVitria is headquartered at 2718 Industrial Drive, Junction City, Kansas 66441, with manufacturing operations at the same site. InVitria also operates a commercial office in Cambridge, Massachusetts (opened December 2023) supporting North American customers, and a European fulfillment facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (opened October 2024) providing direct fulfillment to EU customers across cell and gene therapy, vaccines, and biopharmaceutical applications.

Can European customers order InVitria products with EU-based fulfillment?

Yes. InVitria’s Rotterdam, Netherlands facility supports direct fulfillment for European customers, reducing lead times and simplifying cold-chain logistics compared to transatlantic shipment from US facilities. EU customers can order through InVitria’s Rotterdam location with the same product portfolio, technical support, and regulatory documentation available globally. To inquire about EU fulfillment for specific products or volumes, contact us.

What is ExpressTec?

ExpressTec® is a proprietary recombinant protein expression platform that uses rice grain as the production host. The platform eliminates animal and human-derived components, supports high expression levels and scalability, and delivers consistent product quality across batches in a controlled manufacturing system. ExpressTec has been in continuous commercial production since 1998.

How long has InVitria been in business?

InVitria was established in 2006 and began commercial operations in Junction City, Kansas, in early 2007. The first InVitria products — Lacromin®, Lysobac®, and Cellastim® — were on market by November 2006 and remain part of the company’s portfolio today. The company traces its origins to a California biotechnology firm founded in 1993, with continuous commercial production using the ExpressTec platform since 1998.

Is InVitria’s recombinant albumin used in any FDA-approved drugs?

Yes. InVitria’s Exbumin® recombinant human serum albumin is used as an excipient in ERVEBO®, which is the first FDA- and EMA-approved injectable biologic to include recombinant human serum albumin.

Does InVitria provide regulatory documentation to support customer submissions?

Yes. InVitria provides product-specific Technical Summaries containing CMC-style documentation — including manufacturing process descriptions, raw material controls, characterization data, release specifications, analytical procedures, and lot analysis — designed to support customer regulatory submissions globally, including IND, BLA, and comparable filings under FDA, EMA, and other regulatory authorities. Unlike a Drug Master File, which is filed directly with a single regulatory authority and accessed only through a Letter of Authorization, the Technical Summary is provided directly to the customer for incorporation into their own regulatory documentation. This approach gives customers full visibility into the supplier’s CMC information and supports global filings without being tied to a single regulatory pathway. InVitria also provides Certificates of Analysis for every lot, Animal Component Free statements, and change notification under defined policies. To request product-specific Technical Summaries or other regulatory documentation, contact us.

What certifications and quality standards does InVitria operate under?

InVitria operates under ISO 9001:2015 certification and cGMP-compliant processes, with quality systems supporting biopharmaceutical manufacturing requirements from research through commercial production.

How is recombinant protein production different from plasma-derived or animal-derived sources?

Recombinant proteins produced by InVitria are chemically defined and animal-origin-free, providing higher purity, structural consistency, and reliable scalable supply compared to plasma-derived or animal-derived alternatives. This reduces lot-to-lot variability, eliminates the risk of adventitious contaminants from human or animal sources, and supports regulatory expectations for safer, more controlled manufacturing systems.

How can I purchase InVitria products?

Most customers work directly with InVitria for full access to the product portfolio, custom formulations, GMP supply commitments, and regulatory documentation support. For customers whose institutional procurement systems require integrated supplier ordering, InVitria products are also available through Fisher Scientific, VWR, and the Labviva procurement platform (which integrates with Ariba, Coupa, Oracle, and Jaggaer). All customers receive the same products, the same Certificates of Analysis, and the same technical support regardless of channel. See our How to Purchase section for details, or contact us directly.

InVitria is privately held and selectively engages in conversations with investors, strategic partners, and corporate development teams interested in the recombinant protein, cell culture, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing sectors. With more than 1,000 customers globally, a portfolio of 30+ on-market products including 11 therapeutics, and the only recombinant human serum albumin used as an excipient in an FDA- and EMA-approved injectable biologic, InVitria offers a established commercial platform with continuous operating history dating to 2006.

For inquiries from qualified investors and strategic partners, please contact info@invitria.com.

Interested in a career in advanced biotech?  InVitria is currently hiring!

Product Development

InVitria continues to innovate with it’s line recombinant, scalable and sustainable proteins and components for cell and gene therapy, vaccines and biologic final formulation.  If you have a degree in molecular/cell biology, virology, biochemistry or related areas and have interest in being part of the future of innovation by developing new products, please submit your resume and cover letter below.

Commercial Product Applications

Our Product Applications team works daily with customers across a broad spectrum of applications.  We actively consult with scientists and product development teams at leaders in cell therapy, vaccines, gene therapy, regenerative medicines, diagnostics and final biologic formulation to better understand their unique challenges and how we could apply InVitria’s products to improve performance, scalability and reliability.  If you’re interested in directly working with customers, please submit your resume and cover letter below.

Send your PDF resume to careers@InVitria.com

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