QSV inks two clinical trial manufacturing contracts
manufacturing deals in as many weeks, strengthening its position in
the Phase II and III clinical supplies arena.
This week, the CMO secured a deal with US-based Artielle ImmunoTherapeutics for the process development and manufacturing of Artielle's new potential treatment for multiple sclerosis.
Under the terms of this agreement, QSV will be responsible for technology transfer, and production of Phase II and Phase III clinical trial material of the new compound, RTL 1000.
The drug candidate is a recombinant T cell receptor ligand (RTL) that can treat a wide range of autoimmune diseases.
Artielle is a privately owned autoimmune therapeutics company located in Oregon which focuses on RTL-based technology. Its RFL 1000 compound is currently in Phase I clinical trials and has received orphan drug status from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This agreement comes less than two weeks after QSV secured another manufacturing deal with Bermuda-based Celtic Pharmaceuticals for its new brain tumour drug candidate.
Under the terms of the contract, QSV will be responsible for the manufacture of further Phase III clinical trial supplies and longer term commercial production.
Celtic's new drug, TransMid, is being developed for the treatment of progressive and recurrent non-resectable glioblastoma multiforme, a particularly dangerous type of brain tumour where the average life expectancy is less than six months upon diagnostic.
The manufacture of both drugs will be conducted at QSV's Edmonton facility bought two years ago from UK biotech company Xenova for C$7m (€4.6m).
QSV, which focuses exclusively on contract manufacturing and has no competing products of its own, provides mammalian cell culture and microbial fermentation related biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing services for preclinical research, Phase I, II and III clinical trials materials as well as commercial materials.
