Therapeutic Class Archives - Page 50 of 53 - BioProcess InternationalBioProcess International

Pfenex: Bacterial System Overcomes Protein Challenges, Inhouse and Out

“The more you engineer a protein, the less natural it becomes,” says Pfenex executive Patrick Lucy. The firm is using its clinically validated microbial expression platform to overcome these challenges for both its own product pipeline and its partners. In May, Pfenex announced positive Phase III data showing its lead candidate PF708 is comparable with Eli Lilly’s osteoporosis drug Forteo (teriparatide). The candidate – classed as a biosimilar in Europe but being filed in the US as a therapeutic equivalent…

WuXi Pumps $20m into Conjugation and Fill/Finish Site

by BPI Staff

WuXi Biologics has begun building a biologics conjugation and drug product plant in China to support antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) services. To be known as DP3, the 6,000m2 facility will be the third drug product site for the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and is expected to be open next year. The facility in Wuxi City, China will offer both clinical and commercial antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) services and will be an extension of similar conjugation and fill/finish operations at WuXi’s…

BioSymphony No. 1: Oncobiologics Wins First CDMO Deal

by BPI Staff

Sonnet BioTherapeutics has contracted Oncobiologics to develop and manufacture four undisclosed biologic compounds. The Master Services Agreement (MSA) with Sonnet BioTherapeutics is the first to leverage Oncobiologics’ BioSymphony Platform, consisting of in-house monoclonal antibody (mAb) development and manufacturing capabilities. Lawrence Kenyon, Oncobiologics’ CFO, told BioProcess Insider the platform is used in a small biotech company setting, which results in a “more efficient and timely process for bringing mAbs forward.” He continued: “Our goal, and the purpose of the platform, is…

Sanofi: ‘Ablynx Nanobody Tech Will Fuel Innovation’

by Dan Stanton

Sanofi has completed the acquisition of Ablynx and says it will use the ‘small antibody’ tech platform to drive innovation across a range of therapeutic areas. After rebuffing offers from Novo Nordisk, Belgian biotech Ablynx agreed to an acquisition bid of €3.9 billion (US$4.5 billion) from Sanofi in January. This week, the French pharma giant closed the deal and spoke about its integration plans. “Sanofi and Ablynx have already initiated efforts to better understand the company’s respective areas of expertise…

Plant on the Road to Remediation as Celltrion Resubmits Biosimilars

by Dan Stanton

Celltrion has completed the resubmission of versions of Herceptin and Rituxan to the US FDA after receiving complete response letters for the two biosimilars in April. Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued complete response letters (CRLs) to South Korean drugmaker Celltrion for its rituximab and trastuzumab biosimilars. The letters cited a warning letter sent to the firm in January highlighting “multiple poor aseptic practices” at its production site in Songdo, Incheon. The firm resubmitted CT-P10, a proposed biosimilar…

Lack of Interchangeable Biosimilars Keeps J&J in the Infliximab Game

by Dan Stanton

While US infliximab biosimilars lack interchangeability approval, Remicade (infliximab) can continue to compete in an open market place, says Janssen. Pfizer launched its a biosimilar to Remicade (infliximab), Inflectra, in 2016. The following year, Samsung Bioepis/Merck & Co.’s Renflexis became the second direct threat to Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen’s blockbuster monoclonal antibody. But both products, while deemed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be biosimilar to Remicade, have not been approved to be interchangeable with the…

Sanofi Inks $850m mRNA Vaccines Deal with Translate Bio

by Dan Stanton

Sanofi Pasteur has teamed with Translate Bio to develop messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for up to five infectious disease pathogens. Under terms of the deal, French vaccine developer Sanofi Pasteur will make an upfront sum of US$45 million (€38 million) to Massachusetts-based firm Translate Bio but total payments could reach $850 million on the back of developmental milestones and royalties. The R&D for the undisclosed vaccine targets will be jointly conducted during an initial three-year period. mRNA vaccines work by…

Automated Tech Ups Hitachi’s Cell Therapy Interest

by BPI Staff

Recent entrant to the regenerative medicine space Hitachi Chemical has partnered with Invetech to commercialize the Counter-Flow Centrifugation system – an automated platform for cell therapy manufacturing. The partnership will allow customers of Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics Solutions (HCATS) to access Invetech’s Counter-Flow Centrifugation (CFC) system in the clinical and commercial manufacturing of cell-based therapies using closed single-use disposables. Hitachi entered the regenerative medicine space in 2017 through the $US75 million (€64 million) acquisition of cell therapy contract development and…

Dyadic to Develop Biosimilars Using CHO-Challenging Expression System

by Dan Stanton

Dyadic International has begun developing a pipeline of biosimilars using a fungal expression system it says achieves much higher productivity than CHO cell lines. Dyadic began looking to its enzyme production fungal expression technology for biopharmaceutical purposes in 2015 and has forged several sub-license and partnerships in the biologics space. But now the Florida-based firm has revealed it is set to develop its own biosimilar and biobetter pipeline using the expression system. “We began in earnest an R&D effort on…

First US Neulasta Biosimilar Approval on Second Try for Mylan

by Dan Stanton

The FDA has approved the first US biosimilar of Amgen’s cancer drug Neulasta (pegfilgrastim). Mylan’s Fulphila is the tenth biosimilar to be approved in the US. Mylan’s biosimilar, developed with Indian biomanufacturer Biocon, will launch Fulphilia in the coming weeks, spokesperson Julie Knell told BioProcess Insider. “Mylan is the first company to obtain approval for a biosimilar version of Neulasta in the US. Other manufacturers have sought licensure from the FDA but, to our knowledge, do not yet have approval.” She…