Recipharm, BIAL Extend Opicapone API Supply Agreement

Contract development and manufacturing organization, Recipharm, and Portuguese pharma company, BIAL, revealed that they have expanded the long-term supply agreement for the global manufacture and supply of opicapone API.

According to an Oct. 1, 2020 press release, the expansion of the agreement follows the successful marketing authorization application for BIAL’s Ongentys product—an adjunctive therapy used to treat patients with Parkinson’s disease—in Japan. The opicapone API, which is manufactured at Recipharm’s Cramlington facility in the United Kingdom, is used to formulate the drug product.

“We have worked for several years with process development and scale up to commercial scale of the manufacturing of opicapone,” said Bernard Pluta, president, Development Services at Recipharm, in the press release. “The approval in Japan marks a significant milestone for this important product for patients suffering Parkinson’s disease and we look forward to continue to work together with BIAL to supply opicapone to Japan and elsewhere.”