BUSINESS INSIGHTS
Businesswire | May 22, 2023
Closed Loop Medicine Ltd, a leading TechBio company, developing combination prescription drug plus software therapy products that enable personalized dose optimization, and Pharmanovia, a global pharmaceutical company that commercializes novel medicines and revitalizes, extends and expands the lifecycle of established medicines, today announced that they have entered a global co-development partnership.
The partnership will initially focus on the development and launch of a drug + software combination version of a first-line anti-hypertensive in the UK, before phased global roll-out and additional therapies are added.
Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and premature death worldwide, impacting over 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women, and costing the NHS alone over £2.1 billion/year (1, 2). Managing high-blood pressure through medication and lifestyle modifications significantly reduces associated health risks and improves quality of life; research in the US demonstrating improved standards of care could prevent 91,900 heart attacks, 139,000 strokes and 115,400 cardiovascular deaths within just 5 years (3). However, poor drug tolerability and treatment-related side effects significantly impact adherence, with less than 50% of patients maintaining their treatment regimen after a year, ultimately hindering treatment effectiveness, patient outcomes and overall disease management (4).
As part of this partnership, Closed Loop Medicine’s proprietary Software-as-a-Medical Device (SaMD) dosing optimization technology will be combined with Pharmanovia’s established anti-hypertensive medicines, under a single prescription. Recent preliminary clinical trial results have demonstrated that Closed Loop Medicine’s technology may provide the ability to dose optimize drug therapy, improve blood pressure control, and minimize side effects (5). By developing a new class of combination products for the treatment of hypertension, both companies aim to support patients and healthcare professionals to better manage high blood pressure.
Dr. Hakim Yadi OBE, CEO & Co-Founder of Closed Loop Medicine, commented: “This pioneering partnership is a great example of where the power of software integration can add value to iconic medicines to make them more effective for patients. Through this co-development agreement, we will bring our IP, insight and technical know-how of dose optimized drug plus software integration alongside Pharmanovia’s innovative business model, to enable well-known and trusted brands to be positioned as value-driven precision medicine product solutions globally.”
Dr. James Burt, CEO of Pharmanovia, said: “Combining our experience in lifecycle management with Closed Loop Medicine’s unique approach and technology is an exciting next step in our strategy. It enables us to use innovative technology to enhance established medicines and bring much needed innovation to an area of large-scale unmet need. Together we aim to deliver a first in class combination regulated software and medicine – with the aim of delivering better patient outcomes, while enabling healthcare systems to reduce costly hospital procedures through better adherence and patient engagement.”
AboutPharmanovia
Pharmanovia is a global lifecycle management healthcare company. Our purpose is to make medicines fit for tomorrow, to improve the lives of patients globally. We do this by enhancing established medicines either by rediscovering, repurposing or re-engineering iconic brands to improve patient outcomes and experiences both through in-house development and through strategic partnerships.
Read More
BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
PCI Pharma Services | March 20, 2023
PCI Pharma Services (PCI), a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced plans for a new 200,000-square-foot facility in Rockford, Illinois to enhance the organization’s capacity in injectable drug-device combination product assembly of both biologics and small molecules. Building on PCI’s leadership in this space with its Philadelphia Biotech Center of Excellence, the new facility is the second expansion building off the success in Philadelphia and will house over 20 dedicated customer suites with multiformat machines for the assembly and packaging of vials, pre-filled syringes, auto-injectors, and pen-cartridge combinations. This machinery can be used for the glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists (GLP-1) class of drugs prescribed to treat diabetes and obesity, as well as those needed for oncology treatment and autoimmune diseases.
PCI’s Rockford location will have extensive product testing capability, state-of-the art top-load cartoning technology, and industry leading injector and pen assembly equipment. Additional capabilities include on-site cold storage, high-speed vial labeling, assembly, and packaging of multiformat autoinjectors, serialization, testing, and drug product release.
“We see the tremendous impact that we can make with patients with this investment,” said Salim Haffar, CEO of PCI Pharma Services. “The need for injectable drug-delivery device combination product capacity and expertise is critical, and we are responding with a world-class facility to address the future demands of our global clients so they can focus on developing therapies to improve the lives of patients with serious chronic conditions.”
The $50 million investment in Rockford will amplify PCI’s specialty drug leadership presence in the Midwest, adding to clinical and commercial sterile fill-finish capabilities in Madison, Wisconsin. The new facility will provide a second hub within the U.S., expanding from PCI’s foundation in the Northeast, with Bedford, New Hampshire’s campus growth in aseptic processing. PCI also has sterile fill-finish capabilities at its Leon, Spain; San Diego, California; and Melbourne, Australia locations. The expansion in Rockford is expected to bring 250 jobs to the region in the next two years, with continued growth over three to five years. The site is expected to be fully operational in summer 2024.
“With this new facility, we will be able to serve all clients focused on injectable drug products including biologics with the equipment and capacity to make life-changing medicines,” said Gil Valadez, Senior Vice President, Commercial Packaging Technology, PCI Pharma Services. “We want to help our clients by managing the technical aspects of drug manufacturing, engineering, and delivery, so they can focus on what’s most important: delivering quality products to meet patient needs. That's what PCI is ultimately all about.”
About the Rockford, IL Facility
Rockford is the largest of PCI’s 30 locations across the U.S., European, and Asia Pacific regions, providing industry-leading services for the clinical and commercial packaging of a diverse portfolio of products and specialized delivery forms destined to reach more than 100 countries across the world. The gated secured facility is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Schedule 3. It features temperature and humidity control, an approved Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) and offers TF1 and Uhlmann blistering, vibratory and slat filler bottling, powder filling, cartoning, carding, kitting and serialization capabilities. Warehouse storage includes freezer storage -15°C to -30°C and cold storage 2°C to 8°C.
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 the 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 5,000 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.
Read More
PHARMACY MARKET, PHARMA TECH
prnewswire | March 31, 2023
PANTHERx® Rare, one of the largest and fastest growing rare pharmacies in the United States, is pleased to announce the launch of Joenja® (leniolisib), an oral selective small-molecule PI3K delta inhibitor indicated for the treatment of APDS in adult and pediatric patients ages 12 or older.
"Our patients living with rare and devastating diseases deserve the best that medicine can offer. Through innovation and technology, we continue to make a positive impact on the quality of life of those living with rare diseases. We are pleased to add Joenja® to the list of medications in PANTHERx® portfolio," said Rob Snyder, president of PANTHERx® Rare.
Activated Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase-Delta Syndrome, or APDS, is a rare primary immunodeficiency affecting approximately one to two people per million with disease onset occurring as early as infancy. This condition results from a variant in the genes PIK3CD or PIK3R1 with both genes playing a role in the regulation of white blood cell maturation. The presence of a mutation in these genes lead to hyperactivity of the PI3Kδ pathway resulting in a failure for the immune cells (B and T cells) to mature and properly function. Imbalance in the PI3Kδ pathway results in immunodeficiency and dysregulation. Those with APDS may develop recurrent respiratory tract infections, bronchiectasis, lymphoproliferation as well as neurodevelopment delay and failure to thrive. Clinical presentation is highly variable ranging from asymptomatic adults to those suffering from lymphoproliferation or development of profound immunodeficiency.
Snyder explained Joenja® exerts its effects by blocking the active binding sites of PI3Kδ inhibiting the signaling pathway hyperactivity that leads to dysfunction and dysregulation of B and T cells. In clinical trials, Joenja® achieved both co-primary efficacy measures of reduction in lymph node size and correction of immunodeficiency in the target population. The most common adverse reactions (>10%) were headache, sinusitis, and atrophic dermatitis.
About PANTHERx Rare
PANTHERx Rare is one of the largest and fastest growing rare pharmacies in the United States. PANTHERx transforms lives by delivering medicine breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to people living with rare and devastating conditions. Although the overall incidence of rare diseases is as common as diabetes, less than 7% of the 7,000 known rare and devastating disorders have an FDA-approved therapy. Changes in federal policy and advances in science have led to a surge in FDA orphan drug approvals, providing tremendous hope to the rare disease community.
PANTHERx was recently awarded Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy and earned the inaugural Accredited Distinction in Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care. PANTHERx is now a five-time winner of the prestigious MMIT Patient Choice Award, including the 2022 honor. PANTHERx is headquartered in Pittsburgh, licensed in all 50 states, and holds accreditations from URAC, NABP, and ACHC.
Read More