Cobra licenses DNA process to AstraZeneca
proprietary DNA manufacturing process to make nucleic acids for use
in its drug discovery operations.
The UK company, which developed the technology back in the days when it had designs on developing its own drugs, now makes extensive use of the process in its contract manufacturing business. But the AstraZeneca deal is believed to be the first occasion when it will be used by a company developing conventional (non-biologic) drugs.
Tony Mulcahy, Cobra's associate director of business development, told DrugResearcher.com that AstraZeneca has rights to use the process to make research quantities of DNA, typically in the 100-500mg range. The Anglo-Swedish drug major will use the DNA in its in-house drug target identification and validation activities.
While most pharmaceutical manufacturers synthesise DNA in-house for these purposes, Cobra's technology "takes the guessing game out of the process," said Mulcahy.
The company has developed a robust, automated system for manufacturing plasmid DNA that boasts higher yields and purity than can generally be achieved with 'home-brew' methods. It has been working on DNA manufacture since 1994 and is still one of only a handful of companies that offer this on a contract basis.
David Thatcher, Cobra's chief executive, said the agreement "demonstrates that Cobra's DNA manufacturing technology and expertise has application in the development of conventional drugs as well as Cobra's main focus of DNA vaccines and gene therapy products."
Cancer contract
Meanwhile, Cobra has announced a new contract in its conventional contract biomanufacturing business with Canadian company Oncolytics Biotech. The UK firm will manufacture clinical quantities of Oncolytics' Reolysin, a reovirus-based treatment for human cancers.
The company has initially been contracted to manufacture the drug for preclinical and Phase I and II clinical studies.
