Novozymes Biopharma partners with Almac to provide combined service for drug development

Novozymes Biopharma, part of Novozymes A/S, a world leader in bioinnovation, is delighted to announce its new collaboration with Almac, to provide a combined service for drug development applications in the field of drug targeting and pharmacokinetic improvements. The collaboration will allow clients to utilise Almac’s world-class manufacturing assets and protein conjugation capability to link Novozymes’ Recombumin® Flex technology successfully to their peptide and small molecule drugs. This subsequently improves the pharmacokinetics and has already been shown to improve drug targeting in oncology and rheumatoid arthritis. Collaborations with commercial partners have already begun and will continue to expand in early 2014.

Novozymes and Almac have a solid history of cooperation in peptide and small molecule conjugation projects. The formalisation of this collaboration offers drug developers the immediate benefit of continuity of service provision through the stages of clinical development -delivering efficiencies in time and internal resource, whilst increasing the chances of clinical success. Clients will also benefit from extensive experience in product and service provision to the pharmaceutical industry with access to a comprehensive level of both technical and regulatory support.

Novozymes’ Recombumin^® Flex technology will be the focal point of this collaboration. Novozymes has modified the amino acid sequence of human albumin to increase its receptor affinity, providing novel properties including improved half-life extension and drug targeting. This technology naturally complements Almac’s expertise in peptide and small molecule manufacturing, and can also be allied to its world-class protein conjugation technology offerings. As a result, clients will be able to successfully use Almac’s technology to link Recombumin^® Flex to their drug products as part of one contract service offering.

“By working alongside Almac, we are confident that we will be able to create more opportunities for developers seeking to benefit from the Recombumin^® Flex technology.” stated Dermot Pearson, Marketing Director at Novozymes Biopharma. “The advantage of working with two companies well versed in providing products and services to the pharmaceutical industry is that customers gain the assurance that their needs will be provided for, not just in the short term, but right through to commercial supply.”

Denis Geffroy, VP Business Development for Almac stated: “This alliance has clear benefits for companies involved in both drug development and delivery technologies: a complete service can be recommended utilising the core expertise of both parties at an early stage of clinical development, thus significantly enhancing the success of drug development programmes.”

Both Almac and Novozymes Biopharma will be exhibiting at CPhI WorldWide: Almac in Hall 4.2 L08, and Novozymes Hall 6.2 62E47.