PHARMA TECH
Globenewswire | May 12, 2023
SERB Pharmaceuticals, a global specialty pharmaceutical company, and SFJ Pharmaceuticals, a global drug development company, announce that SERB has acquired exclusive US rights to the ticagrelor reversal agent bentracimab from SFJ.
Bentracimab is a novel, monoclonal antibody fragment designed to reverse the antiplatelet activity of ticagrelor. Ticagrelor, marketed by AstraZeneca as Brilinta®, is a reversible oral P2Y12 platelet inhibitor for patients who have suffered a heart attack or stroke, or who have acute coronary syndromes or coronary artery disease (CAD). Bentracimab, if approved by the FDA, could allow these patients to benefit from the antithrombotic effect of ticagrelor, preventing vascular events and reducing risk of death, while giving physicians a way to control bleeding in rare emergency situations such as surgery or a major bleeding event.
SFJ will remain responsible for the ongoing clinical trials of bentracimab and will work in collaboration with SERB to submit the Biologics License Application (BLA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which they expect to file later this year.
Jeremie Urbain, Executive Chairman of SERB Pharmaceuticals, said: “The acquisition of bentracimab marks a significant step in our strategy to grow through investment in innovative, biologic products for critical care conditions and leverages our existing commercial and technical capabilities. We're excited to partner with SFJ, recognized leaders in late-stage drug development, to bring this life-saving medicine to healthcare professionals and the patients they treat.”
Robert DeBenedetto, Chief Executive Officer of SFJ, said: “We are pleased to partner with Jeremie and the entire SERB team on this important step to help advance bentracimab to patients. Bentracimab has recognized potential benefits and we have confidence that SFJ in collaboration with SERB will be able to expeditiously and efficiently see bentracimab through the approvals process by the US FDA.”
Bentracimab binds ticagrelor and its major active metabolite with high affinity and specificity. A prespecified interim analysis of the ongoing Phase 3 trial REVERSE-IT published in the New England Journal of Medicine Evidence demonstrated that bentracimab immediately and sustainably reversed the antiplatelet effects of ticagrelor, and was generally well tolerated, with only minor adverse events reported. In 2019 bentracimab received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA, a process designed to expedite the development and review of drugs which may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy.
The companies did not disclose specific financial terms. Leopoldo Zambeletti acted as advisor for SFJ, and Evercore acted as advisor for SERB.
About SERB Pharmaceuticals
SERB is a global specialty pharmaceutical company with a growing portfolio of medicines for emergency care and rare diseases. For over 30 years we have made treating these complex and life-threatening conditions possible, supporting clinicians, healthcare systems and governments while offering hope to patients and their families. SERB has the broadest antidote portfolio in the world, including medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risks. As a fully integrated company, we have the experience and capabilities to acquire, develop, and manufacture our medicines to the highest standards, and make them available worldwide through our secure supply chain. SERB operates in the US as BTG Pharmaceuticals.Learn more at https://SERB.com.
About SFJ Pharmaceuticals®
SFJ is a global drug development company, which provides a unique and highly customized clinical development partnering model for the world's top pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. SFJ provides at-risk funding and the global clinical development management and oversight necessary for regulatory submission for some of the most promising drug development programs of Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology companies. SFJ's mission is to leverage its financial strength and global team of pharmaceutical development experts to accelerate the development of life-saving and life-enhancing drugs for the benefit of physicians and the patients they serve. www.sfj-pharma.com
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Businesswire | April 24, 2023
PCI Pharma Services a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization announced that three new state-of-the-art automated sterile fill-finish machines at its San Diego and Melbourne facilities are now fully operational. The innovative machinery from Cytiva can be used to fill various sterile medications into vials and syringes for small-to-mid scale client needs. The equipment, paired with PCI’s end-to-end services, accelerates Speed to Study™, and drastically decreases the average turnaround time from proposal signing to the injectable product’s distribution.
“As the capacity for CDMOs worldwide to take on new projects shrinks, we’re excited to be able to offer integrated sterile fill-finish capabilities, alongside our clinical packaging facilities, to new and existing clients in Melbourne and San Diego,” said Brad Payne, Chief Operating Officer, PCI Pharma Services. “Our increased capacity, stockpile of standardized components, including glass, and technical expertise means we can start running batches as soon as needed. This will cut down on the wait times many pharmaceutical companies are facing and begin to help alleviate the global capacity shortage for sterile drug product and downstream packaging.”
The Microcell Vial Filler and SA25 Aseptic Filling Workcell at PCI’s San Diego facility ensures the delivery of medicines from phase I through phase III, supporting local and global Clinical client needs. Additionally, a Microcell Vial Filler at Melbourne further enhances the early-stage services offered and brings additional capacity to Australia—the world’s leading phase I environment. These advanced machines expedite the filling process with automation and remove the need for human intervention in a sterile environment, creating compliance advantages over standard equipment.
“There are less barriers to entry to start a clinical trial in Australia, as well as significant cost benefits, and with Melbourne being an especially popular place to conduct phase I trials, we knew we needed to bring this capability and added capacity to the local market,” said Tim Roberts, Chief Commercial Officer, PCI Pharma Services. “In addition, we are then able to take our clients through their lifecycle journeys with the expansions and advanced capabilities in our New Hampshire and Madison campuses. With successful recent inspections at our Bedford facility by the Brazilian (ANVISA) and Japanese (PDMA) regulatory authorities, our global reach to supply life-changing therapies to patients quickly and safely is wider than before.”
To better support its clients throughout the world, PCI has also recently invested in expansions in Rockford, IL, and Tredegar, Wales, as well as established new facilities in Bedford, NH, and Bridgewater, MA.
About PCI Pharma Services
PCI is a leading global CDMO, providing clients with integrated end-to-end drug development, manufacturing and packaging capabilities that increase their products’ speed to market and opportunities for commercial success. PCI brings proven experience that comes with more than 50 successful product launches each year and over five decades in the healthcare services business. We currently have 30 sites across seven countries (Australia, Canada, U.S., Ireland, Wales, Germany and Spain) and over 4,300 employees that work to bring life-changing therapies to patients. Leading technology and continued investment enable us to address global drug development needs throughout the entire product life cycle – from manufacturing capabilities through the clinical trial supply chain and into commercialization. Our clients view us as an extension of their business and a collaborative partner with the shared goal of improving patients’ lives.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH
Businesswire | March 29, 2023
Simulations Plus, Inc. a leading provider of modeling and simulation software and services for pharmaceutical safety and efficacy, today announced that it established a strategic research collaboration with the Sino-American Cancer Foundation (SACF). This collaboration will leverage Simulations Plus’ staff and Artificial Intelligence-driven Drug Design technology in the ADMET Predictor® software platform to support the discovery and design of novel inhibitors of methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2), an emerging cancer target.
Per the terms of the collaboration, Simulations Plus will develop quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models for efficacy against MTHFD2, using information from SACF as well as academic and patent literature. The biologists, computational and medicinal chemists in the Early Drug Discovery Services team at Simulations Plus will work with the researchers at SACF to define the multi-objective parameters against which the lead molecule(s) will be optimized. The new AIDD Module in ADMET Predictor® will then be employed to generate libraries of virtual compounds that are optimized for potency and other chosen parameters. The teams will select promising candidates for synthesis and testing, and ensuing rounds of QSAR model building and AIDD optimization will be performed until the milestone criteria in the collaboration agreement are achieved.
“We value the trust and confidence SACF has in our team and AI technology to complement and accelerate conventional drug design and lead optimization processes,” said Dr. Jeremy Jones, Principal Scientist at Simulations Plus and project lead. “By combining their drug discovery expertise with our algorithmic and data science know-how, we are confident we will successfully support their hit-to-lead target development activities.”
As part of this agreement, SACF will provide upfront funding to Simulations Plus to design a set number of compounds for efficacy against MTHFD2 which will be exclusive to SACF. Subsequent milestone payments will be made as key research and development goals are met.
“SACF has had an active interest in AI for de novo design for some time, and we have found a trusted partner in Simulations Plus to help us integrate this into our research,” added Dr. Frank Luh, CEO of SACF. “Scientists from the two organizations will work side-by-side to combine SACF’s data with all that Simulations Plus offers to identify the next generation of compounds that could help in the treatment of cancer.”
John DiBella, SLP Division President, said, “The Early Drug Discovery Services offering at Simulations Plus is tailor made for this type of partnership, where our team of experts, including computational, medicinal, and cheminformatics specialists, provide end-to-end AI-driven drug discovery and optimization support to complement the SACF team. Simulations Plus continues to invite future collaborations which benefit organizations and, most importantly, the global communities we serve.”
About Simulations Plus, Inc.
Serving clients worldwide for more than 25 years, Simulations Plus is a leading provider in the biosimulation market providing software and consulting services supporting drug discovery, development, research, and regulatory submissions. We offer solutions that bridge machine learning, physiologically based pharmacokinetics, quantitative systems pharmacology/toxicology, and population PK/PD modeling approaches. Our technology is licensed and applied by major pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and regulatory agencies worldwide.
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