DSM Signs Supply Pacts with Opthea and Sanquin

DSM Pharmaceutical has developed supply pacts with Opthea and Sanquin. The agreement with Opthea of Melbourne, Australia covers process development and cGMP manufacture by DSM for Opthea's lead molecule, a soluble form of human VEGFR-3 that blocks the activity of both VEGF-C and VEGF-D, which promote blood and lymphatic vessel formation and are involved in the progression of eye diseases.

This project represents an agreement for process development at DSM Biologics' Groningen, the Netherlands, facility and manufacture at the company’s newly established cGMP facility in Brisbane, Australia. Opthea, a private 100% owned subsidiary of Circadian Technologies is developing its lead molecule OPT-302, previously known as VGX-300, initially for the treatment of "wet" (neovascular) age-related macular degeneration.

In other news, DSM has signed an agreement with the Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation for the commercial manufacture of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) used for the recovery and purification of coagulation factor IX from human blood. Collaboration between DSM Biologics, a business unit of DSM Pharmaceutical Products, and Sanquin will entail subsequent GMP manufacture of the antifactor IX mAb at DSM Biologics’ facilities in Groningen, the Netherlands.

DSM becomes a second supplier to Sanquin for a process intermediate that is used for the capture of human factor IX from blood plasma.

Source: DSM Pharmaceutical