DSM further expands enzyme portfolio with Codexis accord

The deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, grants the DSM unit access to Codexis’ custom enzyme discovery and development platform, which is used to optimise production processes for active pharmaceutical ingredient and intermediate manufacture.

Netherlands-based DSM joins existing Codexis partners like Pfizer, Merck and Teva and will use the enzymes and synthesis technologies afforeded to it under the agreement to further build its recently launched InnoSyn contract route scouting business.

InnoSyn business manager Oliver May told Outsourcing-Pharma.com the range of enzymes covered by the deal was the key driver, explaining that it provides a "diversity of off-the-shelf available enzymes and a speedy option to further [expand our InnoSyn range]​."

He also set the licensing agreement in a wider market context, suggesting that: “The challenges affecting the pharma industry leads to an increase in service opportunities for activities previously considered as core but are now more and more outsourced.​

“The development of efficient manufacturing routes is one example and focus of the InnoSyn service which delivers scalable techpackages for complex syntheses based on a broad enabling toolset of modern synthetic methods​.”

Global demand a driver​

Expanding its access to enzymes has been a focus for DSM in recent months, most notably in December​ when it signed a licensing agreement with Leipzig, Germany-headquartered custom enzyme developer c-LEcta.

That deal, which bolstered DSM’s portfolio of alcohol dehydrogenases, was driven like the new Codexis partnership, by growing customer demand around the world according to May who spoke with Outsourcing-Pharma.com shortly afterwards.

“The Strongest customer base looking for innovative sustainable manufacturing processes is located in the US and Europe but an increasing demand for this green technology is seen for production of generics mainly manufactured in India and more and more also in China.​

Service expansion​

DSM’s InnoSyn service, which is based Geleen, was launched last September in response to growing demand for outsourced process development according to R&D director Ronald Gebhard who spoke with Outsourcing-Pharma.com at the time.

He explained that the concept is to provide customers with a “cost efficient, greener and more convergent way to manufacturing [with] shorter, more sustainable manufacturing processes​.”

In the subsequent months DSM introduced a range of new enzymes, including, lyases, transaminases, dehydrogenases and new, easily accessible homogeneous catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenations, aromatic substitutions, and oxidations.