CML and Novacta team up to target process outsourcing sector
Under the terms of the deal, Novacta will develop a range of biocatalytic approaches for the production of target pharmaceutical intermediates, which CML will scale-up for industrial applications.
Roger Mc Donald, CML’s European Business Development director, said that the collaboration will add more cutting edge technology to the firm’s range of capabilities and broaden the range of solutions it can offer drug industry clients.
“Novacta Biosystems are recognized experts in their field, with a strong practical focus. CML is well-known for our pragmatic approach and problem-solving skills. Together we will be able to bring to bear a formidable range of chemistry tools. It is an exciting opportunity for CML and for our clients.”
Novacta CSO Mike Dawson was also positive about the link up, explaining that CML’s expertise perfectly complements his firm’s biocatalysis offering.
He added that: “Novacta Biosystems goal is to be the premier service provider of biocatalysis and metabolite solutions and an alliance with such a high profile company is a great step forward to offer our clients a complete service offering.”
CML will conduct scale-up operations at its manufacturing and development plant in Weert in the Netherlands.
The 12,500 meter square facility, which CML gained through the acquisition of Dutch active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supplier ChemShop in 2007, features an R&D lab, several kilo suites and a pilot plant production line, all of which meet with the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) good manufacturing practice standards (GMP).
With Big Pharma’s eye fixed on cutting costs and trimming R&D budgets in the difficult economic climate, demand for contract development and manufacturing services has exploded in recent years.
While initially drug firms saw contracting companies as a source of production capacity, the trend now is for contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs) to take a wider role. As a result the level of expertise demanded has spread to all areas of development, including processing and catalysis.
Such demand is creating a new market for chemistry expertise among contractors seeking to offer the most efficient process development options to the drug industry in order to compete in the marketplace.
CML and Novacta will hope that the catalysis and process options developed through their partnership will prove attractive to this market.
