Deals, Development and Manufacturing

Eli Lilly and Company has partnered with leading diabetes tech firms to offer app compatibility with insulin smart pens to streamline diabetes management with automated data collection.

Vectura and Inspira Pharmaceuticals have joined forces to develop a potential inhaled therapy for COVID-19.

Catalent has acquired Promethera Biosciences’ cell therapy manufacturing subsidiary, which includes a 32,400 ft2 facility in Gosselies, Belgium.

Moderna has entered into an agreement with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to supply up to 500 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the 92 Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment low- and middle-income countries.

This new collaboration between Vyant Bio, Ordaōs Bio, and Cellaria mitigates risk in the drug discovery process using artificial intelligence and in-vitro “avatar” clinical trials.

Through the acquisition, Pfizer will have access to Amplyx’s lead compound, Fosmanogepix (APX001), an investigational asset under development for the treatment of invasive fungal infections.

Moderna’s investments will double the formulation fill/finish and drug substance manufacturing of its vaccine to up to three billion doses in 2022 at various manufacturing sites.

Under the terms of the agreement, Catalent will handle the process development and CGMP manufacturing of AavantiBio’s adeno-associated viral vector-based therapeutic candidate for use in clinical trials in the US and Europe.

Merck has entered into non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with five Indian generic drug manufacturers for the development of molnupiravir, an investigational, oral antiviral agent for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19.

With a $5 million grant from DARPA, DNA Script and Moderna will develop a prototype for rapid mobile manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics as part of the DARPA’s Nucleic Acids On-Demand World-Wide program.

Sanofi will perform the fill/finish of up to 200 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine at its Ridgefield, NJ, facility starting in September 2021.

Samsung and TG Therapeutics have expanded their 2018 contract manufacturing deal for the supply of TG’s ublituximab, an investigational anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody.

Since launching the partnership, Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb have established a pipeline of novel first-in-class targeted protein degradation projects, two of which have transitioned into lead optimization.

Lipid production at Evonik’s Hanau, Germany, site was set up in eight weeks and met high-quality requirements, accelerating delivery time, which was originally set for mid-2021.

Vertex and CRISPR have amended their collaboration agreement to include the development, manufacture, and commercialization of CTX001, an investigational CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing therapy for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia.

Waters and Genovis will work to develop automated workflows for the fast and constant characterization of critical quality attributes of monoclonal antibodies and other protein-based drugs in bioprocess development, formulation, stability testing, and quality control.

HTL Biotechnology and Echelon Biosciences have formed a strategic partnership for the distribution of high-quality HA and GAG, and the co-development of novel GAG products.

The acquisition, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2021, will give Thermo Fisher access to PPD’s drug development platform, patient recruitment capabilities, and laboratory services.

The ATMPS and Ori Biotech collaboration aims to improve visibility and reporting of cell and gene therapy manufacturing through a pre-integrated data solution.

Through the agreement, Lonza will use its fully integrated end-to-end program, Ibex Design, to manufacture cGMP material for the mAb while supporting the process from gene to IND.

Eli Lilly has modified its purchase agreements with the US government for its emergency use authorized COVID-19 neutralizing antibody therapies, bamlanivimab and etesevimab, to be supplied and used together rather than individually.

The deal will give Sanofi access to Tidal’s novel mRNA-based approach for in-vivo reprogramming of immune cells, which will expand Sanofi’s research capabilities in immuno-oncology and inflammatory diseases.

A Phase III clinical trial of anti-coronavirus immunoglobulin did not meet its endpoints, concluding the year-long CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, Takeda and CSL Behring announced.

The Phase III study will evaluate nemvaleukin alfa, Alkermes' novel investigational engineered interleukin-2 variant immunotherapy, in combination with Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab), in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

CrystecPharma has opened a new subsidiary, Nantong Crystec Pharmaceutical R&D Co. Ltd., and research facility in Haimen City, Jiangsu Province, China.

Under the terms of the expanded agreement, Catalent will provide Moderna with a new high-speed vial filling line until June 2023 along with inspection, labeling, cartoning, and final packaging for potential pipeline programs.

COVID-19 has placed bio/pharma in the spotlight of global media, but away from vaccines there are other prospective pipeline treatments that will be worth watching.

The business, which has been renamed Woodstock Sterile Solutions, will operate out of a single site in Woodstock, IL, and will support clinical- to commercial-stage formulation and manufacturing.

The acquisition will give Amgen access to Rodeo's 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase program, which will strengthen its inflammation portfolio.

The expanded agreement will include aseptic fill/finish services at its San Diego, CA facility.