PHARMA TECH
WuXi AppTec | August 12, 2022
WuXi Advanced Therapies a wholly owned subsidiary of WuXi AppTec, announced a licensing agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Under this agreement, WuXi ATU will license to Janssen its TESSA™ technology, a high-performance system that can produce 10 times more adeno-associated viral vectors than traditional AAV manufacturing systems. Janssen will also have access to work on WuXi ATU's proprietary clonal suspension HEK293 cell line. This agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation.
AAV vectors are commonly used for the delivery of gene therapies to patients due to their ability to transduce numerous cell and tissue types. WuXi ATU's TESSA™ technology responds to industry demand for large scale AAV manufacturing by producing higher quality AAV particles more efficiently. WuXi ATU has also successfully scaled up the TESSA™ technology to 200L; this achieved a 10-fold higher yield and a significantly higher percentage of full AAV capsids, greatly reducing overall AAV production costs compared to traditional plasmid-based AAV production systems.
"We are honored that Janssen selected WuXi ATU's TESSA™ technology. We remain committed to improving the TESSA™ platform to produce faster and more cost-effective AAV products for patients."
Dr. David Chang, Chief Executive Officer of WuXi Advanced Therapies
As a Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization with global operations, WuXi ATU will continue to enhance its capability and capacity to help customers develop and deliver life-changing cell and gene therapies faster for patients in need.
About WuXi Advanced Therapies (WuXi ATU)
As the advanced therapies business unit of WuXi AppTec, WuXi Advanced Therapies is a Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CTDMO) that offers integrated platforms to transform the discovery, development, testing, manufacturing, and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. Our services and solutions accelerate time to market and support customer programs around the world.
About WuXi AppTec
As a global company with operations across Asia, Europe, and North America, WuXi AppTec provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients. Through its unique business models, WuXi AppTec's integrated, end-to-end services include chemistry drug CRDMO (Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization), biology discovery, preclinical testing and clinical research services, cell and gene therapies CTDMO (Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization), helping customers improve the productivity of advancing healthcare products through cost-effective and efficient solutions. WuXi AppTec received AA ESG rating from MSCI in 2021 and its open-access platform is enabling more than 5,850 collaborators from over 30 countries to improve the health of those in need – and to realize the vision that "every drug can be made and every disease can be treated."
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS
Lexitas and QHP Capital | July 08, 2022
QHP Capital the management company for NovaQuest Private Equity announced its acquisition of Lexitas Pharma Services a full-service ophthalmology contract research organization supporting biopharmaceutical and medical device clinical trials.
Since 2011, Lexitas has provided clinical trial and medical strategy solutions to biopharmaceutical and medical device companies developing ophthalmic products. The Company provides end-to-end support and development expertise in the anterior and posterior segments of ophthalmology. Lexitas has conducted clinical trials for dry eye disease, glaucoma, cataract, uveitis, pediatric myopia, diabetic macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa, among others. The Company’s therapeutic area expertise, relationships with ophthalmic KOLs, and network of high-performing research sites has led to strong outcomes for its international customer base.
“For the past decade, Lexitas has had the incredible opportunity and privilege to partner with talented companies with amazing science as they develop their ophthalmic drugs and devices. Partnering with the QHP team brings deep expertise and domain knowledge that is going to allow Lexitas to improve and increase the scope, quality, and efficiency of our capabilities. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with QHP and are excited at the prospect of getting safe and efficacious ophthalmic drugs to patients efficiently and quickly,”
George Magrath, M.D., CEO of Lexitas
“Lexitas is an excellent fit with QHP’s philosophy and strategy of providing strategic capital to growing clinical trial services providers in niche, specialized therapeutic areas,” said Vern Davenport and Jeff Edwards, Partners at QHP. “We look forward to supporting the Lexitas team as they continue to build out their capabilities and provide best-in-class ophthalmic drug development services.”
Additionally, Lexitas appointed Jeanne Hecht as Executive Chairwoman of the Board. Jeanne is a seasoned ophthalmology CRO industry executive having previously served as CEO of Ora, an ophthalmic CRO, where she expanded Ora’s international presence, introduced new lines of business, and furthered its goals along numerous strategic paths.
About Lexitas
Lexitas is a full-service ophthalmic biopharmaceutical solutions company focused on providing end-to-end eyecare support and exceptional service to biopharma and medical device clients globally.
About QHP Capital
QHP Capital, L.P. is the management company for NovaQuest Private Equity NQPE is a private equity firm that invests in lower middle market healthcare companies primarily in North America. The Firm invests in services and technology companies where a strategic partner and operating resources can accelerate growth, targeting companies in healthcare and pharmaceutical services industries. NQPE invests in the form of buyouts, growth equity, and recapitalizations.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS
Pharma Tech | August 09, 2022
Pharma Tech Holding SA announced it has secured a CHF 30 million investment to support its portfolio investments from LDA Capital Ltd, a global investment group with expertise in cross border transactions including the agriculture, Agri-tech, and CBD industries.
Established in 2019, PTH is a Swiss based holding company, which invests into innovative businesses with high technological value and scalability potential, mainly in Switzerland and Europe, with a focus on the health-tech, Agri-tech, and functional food.
This investment will allow PTH to mainly invest and support its portfolio company Blue Sky Swisse SA a JV between PTH and listed company IGEA PHARMA NV IGPH - ISIN NL0012768675. BSS focuses on the extraction of natural active principles from vegetable matrices, vegetable waste, and renewable sources to deliver B2B products under the form of CBD oil, Terpenes and Waxes. The factory located in Biasca, will be built to the state of art of extraction technology by super critical CO2 and will be energy self-sufficient through the use of solar photovoltaic panels and district heating. BSS will grant for highest CBD quality also due to a proprietary extraction process, starting from the farming performed under strict control and culminating with the immediate freezing of the flowers after harvest, with the target to also sell “all natural” formulations to increase bioavailability thus enhancing the possible applications. Last, but not least, BSS will invest in the agricultural raw material chain and will create an aeroponic green house in Ticino, to deliver a high quality GMP Pharmaceutical CBD oil.
LDA Capital agreed to commit an amount of up to CHF 30 million in cash within a maximum of three years. This Capital Commitment will be released based on drawdowns by PTH, that PTH has the right to exercise at its sole discretion.
“We’re thrilled with this partnership and are so glad that LDA Capital recognizes the value of PTH and its portfolio company, with the aim of creating one of the most innovative hub for health-tech, agri-tech and functional food,”
Sabina Del Nigro, CEO at PTH
About Pharma Tech Holding
Pharma Tech Holding SA is a holding company based in Lugano, Switzerland, which invests into innovative businesses with high technological value and scalability potential, mainly in Switzerland and Europe, with a focus on the health-tech, Agri-tech, and functional food.
About LDA Capital
LDA Capital is a global alternative investment group with expertise in cross border transactions worldwide. Our team has dedicated their careers to international & cross border opportunities having collectively executed over 250 transactions in both the public and private middle markets across 43 countries with aggregate transaction values of over US$11 billion.
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