BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Businesswire | May 10, 2023
AustinPx, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in analytical and formulation development services and cGMP manufacturing for small molecule drugs, today announced the expansion of its capabilities to meet industry demand for the Company’s services and expertise. The Company has added new spray drying and encapsulation capabilities and has also expanded its GMP manufacturing capacity for high shear and fluid bed granulation.
AustinPx has installed and validated a Dott. Bonapace INCAP capsule filler, a Freund-Vector VFC3 model fluid bed, and a Freund-Vector GMXB-Pilot model granulator. The INCAP rounds out the Company’s solid dose manufacturing capabilities, while the fluid bed and granulator supplement the Company’s manufacturing scale.
“The investments are a key component of AustinPx’s larger strategy to expand our oral dose development and manufacturing capabilities to better serve our clients’ increasing demand,” said Justin Keen, PhD, senior vice president operations. “The additions demonstrate our ongoing commitment to providing our clients with the best possible service and support."
In line with the Company’s mission of providing science-driven formulation development, AustinPx has installed a PROCEPT modular 4M8-Trix for the development of spray dried amorphous solid dispersions. The addition supplements AustinPx’s current portfolio of bioavailability enhancement technologies, including KinetiSol® Technology - the Company’s proprietary fusion-based amorphous dispersion manufacturing platform.
“We are excited to add spray drying to our portfolio,” said Dave Miller, PhD, chief scientific officer. “When combined with our existing formulation capabilities, the addition enables us to provide a comprehensive suite of bioavailability enhancement solutions to identify the optimal formulation pathway for poorly soluble compounds and address a greater number of our clients’ challenges.”
The expanded capabilities are now available for use. These additions are the first of several strategic investments planned for the Company in the immediate future, as AustinPx continues to position itself as a leading CDMO in the pharmaceutical industry.
About AustinPx
AustinPx, Pharmaceutics and Manufacturing, is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) providing analytical and formulation development services and cGMP manufacturing for small molecule drugs. We specialize in phase-appropriate development strategies, speed to clinic and market strategies, and bioavailability enhancement of poorly soluble molecules - including our next generation amorphous dispersion platform, KinetiSol® Technology.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
prnewswire | April 20, 2023
Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services a leading provider of biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing services, is pleased to announce that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's high potency vial line to manufacture a commercial product.
"Receiving FDA approval on our HPAPI fill line is an exciting milestone for our company, and couldn't have happened without the hard work, hours of preparation, diligence and support from the Aji Bio-Pharma team across our whole organization. As a leading global CDMO, we are dedicated to providing high-quality drug process development and manufacturing services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies worldwide." said Bert Barbosa, President & COO, Ajinomoto Bio Pharma Services, US.
Aji Bio-Pharma has six fill finish lines located in San Diego, including a new line that offers a range of configurations, including prefilled syringes, cartridges and vials. The high-speed process is rated to move up to 22,000 syringes per hour through the line, with a batch capacity of over 200 thousand syringes. This multi-purpose fill line has been designed to meet FDA and EMEA commercial compliance.
About Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services
Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is a fully integrated contract development and manufacturing organization with sites in Belgium, United States, Japan, and India, providing comprehensive development, cGMP API manufacturing, and aseptic fill finish services for small and large molecule APIs and intermediates. Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services offers a broad range of innovative platforms and capabilities for pre-clinical and pilot programs to commercial quantities, including high potency APIs (HPAPI), continuous flow manufacturing, oligonucleotide synthesis, biocatalysis, Corynex® protein expression technology, antibody drug conjugations (ADC) and more. Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is dedicated to providing a high level of quality and service to meet our client's needs.
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PHARMACY MARKET
Globenewswire | May 16, 2023
Athenex, Inc. a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer and related conditions, today announced that, following an ongoing strategic review, it has reached agreement with its lenders to move forward with an expedited sales process of the Company’s assets across its primary businesses: Athenex Pharmaceutical Division (“APD”), Orascovery, and Cell Therapy.
To best facilitate this process, Athenex and certain of its subsidiaries filed voluntary proceedings under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. This will enable the Company to divest its assets and wind down the Athenex platform in an orderly fashion, while seeking to maximize value for its stakeholders. The Company anticipates concluding the expedited sales process by July 1, 2023, with the Chapter 11 cases continuing thereafter to resolve claims.
Athenex has also reached an agreement with its secured lenders, subject to court approval, for the consensual use of cash collateral, which will enable the Company to, among other things, satisfy certain obligations to its vendors for authorized goods received and services rendered after the filing. Athenex Pharma Solutions (“APS”), which includes the Company’s manufacturing facility in Clarence, New York, is expected to continue its operations for at least the next 90 days, to provide commercial supply of tirbanibulin ointment. In addition, APD is continuing to operate in the ordinary course and fill customer orders with the ample inventory it has on hand.
Dr. Johnson Lau, Chief Executive Officer of Athenex, on behalf of the management team and the Athenex Board of Directors, said, “Throughout our history, we have sought to become a leader in bringing innovative cancer treatments to the market and improving patient health outcomes. Our team was successful in bringing tirbanibulin, through regulatory approvals, to the U.S. market and a number of EU countries, as well as Taiwan. Unfortunately, our oral paclitaxel product candidate received a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and this significant regulatory setback, coupled with challenging biotech markets and the difficult economic environment, put tremendous pressure on our ability to continue to fund our businesses.
“Over the past two years, we made considerable progress in refocusing our business around our promising NKT cell therapy platform, monetizing non-core assets to improve our balance sheet and extending our cash runway, paying down $108 million of debt, and undertaking a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives to create value for our stakeholders. While we explored every viable avenue to avoid this outcome, an orderly sales process represents the best path forward at this time.
“Our goal remains to identify purchasers who will continue development of the important drug candidates for which we have established a good foundation, and to bring them to market on behalf of medical practitioners and, most importantly, for patients. We are incredibly thankful to our team for their dedication to Athenex and will look to support our colleagues through this transition period.”
Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP is acting as Athenex's legal counsel. MERU is serving as its financial advisor and Cassel Salpeter & Co., LLC as its investment banker.
About Athenex, Inc.
Founded in 2003, Athenex, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to becoming a leader in the discovery, development, and commercialization of next-generation cell therapy products for the treatment of cancer. The Company’s mission is to become a leader in bringing innovative cancer treatments to the market and to improve patient health outcomes. In pursuit of this mission, Athenex leverages years of experience in research and development, clinical trials, regulatory standards, and manufacturing. The Company is focused on its innovative Cell Therapy platform, based on natural killer T (“NKT”) cells.
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