OctoPlus wins Danish development, manufacturing contract
pharmafile | July 12, 2011 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |Â Â OctoPlus, pharma manufacturing newsÂ
Dutch drug delivery specialist OctoPlus has been awarded a contract with an unidentified Danish drugmaker based on its microsphere technology.
The process development and manufacturing agreement will make use of OctoPlus’ manufacturing facility in Leiden, the Netherlands, which opened for business a little over two years ago and makes microspheres, liposomes and other complex formulations for clients.
The company combines a conventional drug delivery technology licensing business with advanced drug formulation and clinical scale manufacturing services. There is a growing trend towards offering complex manufacturing services as this provides a degree of protection from competition in the increasingly hard-fought contract manufacturing territory.
“The undisclosed contract value will make a material contribution to OctoPlus’ annual revenues,” said the firm in a statement. Last year the company reported turnover of 8.3 million euros, mostly from drug delivery evaluation projects.
OctoPlus’ has a range of microsphere-based delivery technologies, including a polymer-based platform called PolyActive which forms the basis of the company’s lead product Locteron, a controlled release formulation of interferon alpha for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
Locteron is made in Leiden using interferon supplied by OctoPlus’ commercial partner Biolex, and has completed phase IIb testing.
Another microsphere technology developed by the company is octoDEX – based on cross-linked dextran microspheres – which is used for the controlled release of therapeutic proteins given by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection.
OctoPlus has not disclosed which technology lies at the heart of the new Danish contract.
In addition to controlling the rate of delivery of the proteins, formulating them in microspheres can reduce aggregation and in turn reduce the risk that they may cause local immunogenic reactions.
Last year, it reported the start of four drug delivery evaluation projects and six drug development and manufacturing contracts from companies such as The Medicines Company, which is working with OctoPlus on MDCO-216 for atherosclerosis, and eye care specialist ESBATech.
Phil Taylor
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