News out of Greater Philadelphia's life sciences industry this week includes a pharmaceutical packaging partnership, a cell and gene therapy distribution alliance, a lease deal, a gene therapy candidate, and more.
Here's the roundup:
West Pharmaceutical Services
The Exton-based designer and manufacturer of injectable pharmaceutical packaging and delivery systems entered into an exclusive supply and technology agreement with specialty glass and materials maker Corning Inc.
According to the companies, the deal will facilitate a multimillion-dollar capital and research and development investment to expand work on Corning's Valor glass technology and to produce advanced injectable drug packaging and delivery systems for the pharmaceutical industry.
Details of the investment and the agreement are being kept confidential.
The collaboration calls for combining West's NovaPure premium stopper components with Daikyo Flurotec coating technology and Corning's Valor glass and Velocity vials to develop advanced pharmaceutical packaging products.
Eric Green, CEO of West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE: WST), said the companies are seeking to capitalize on the materials science and manufacturing expertise of both companies by offering leading elastomer-glass systems to contain and deliver injectable medicines.
"We value the state-of-the-art products offered by Corning, and are excited to build together the next generation of integrated packaging and delivery innovations," Green said.
Wendell P. Weeks, chairman and CEO of Corning, said he expects the partnership to yield products that "enhance patient safety, increase quality and reliability in highly regulated markets and ensure greater capacity for life-saving drugs."
AmerisourceBergen
The Conshohocken pharmaceutical distribution and services company and TrakCel have teamed up to launch an integrated technology platform designed to accelerate patient access to prescribed cell and gene therapies — and deliver "complete visibility throughout the treatment journey."
TrakCel is a technology company based in the United Kingdom that provides cell, gene, and immunotherapy management services.
The new offering combines two platforms: Ocellos, TrakCel’s advanced therapy orchestration software platform, and Fusion, a customer relationship management and patient support system managed by AmerisourceBergen subsidiary Lash Group.
“The fast-growing pipeline of cell and gene therapies represents immense hope for patients around the world, but their unique nature can pose challenges such as eligibility and coverage barriers that can delay access to the treatment,” said Willis Chandler, president of manufacturer services and commercial solutions at AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC).
The partnership, Chandler said, was designed to create a "heightened level of connectivity" across the supply chain and streamline the process through which patients get access to cell and gene therapies.
Chimeron Bio
The Philadelphia gene therapy company, which is developing a novel class of self-amplifying RNA vaccines and therapeutics, is expanding its operations in the city.
Chimeron is taking space at the Curtis in Center City and will be part of the BioLabs co-working lab and office space there.
The company was founded in 2015 and currently has its operations on the University City Science Center campus. Its move is the result of needing more space for its growing research and development team and operations.
“We are pleased to be joining BioLabs Philadelphia," said Dr. Jolly Mazumdar, co-founder and CEO of Chimeron Bio, in a statement. "We expect this new facility to drive our next phase of growth by enabling our growing team to conduct cutting-edge research as we work to bring high-impact accessible RNA medicines to patients."
SwanBio Therapeutics
The Food and Drug Administration cleared the Bala Cynwyd biotechnology firm's investigational new drug application for its lead gene therapy candidate SBT101, an experimental treatment of adrenomyeloneuropathy.
Adrenomyeloneuropathy is an adult-onset degenerative spinal cord disease caused by mutations in the ABCD1 gene. There is no approved treatment for the condition, which leads to progressive dysfunction of the central nervous system. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 men in the United States and European Union are living with the disorder.
The FDA clearance will allow SwanBio to begin human clinical testing of its gene therapy candidate. The company plans to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of SBT101 during the second half of 2022.
“[The FDA's] clearance is a formative milestone for SwanBio, enabling us to evolve from a preclinical company to a truly integrated research and development organization,” said Tom Anderson, the company's CEO.
Quick hits
Berwyn-based Annovis Bio (NYSE: ANVS) said it held a successful meeting with the FDA with respect to its late-stage testing plans for Buntanetap, the company's experimental therapy for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. The FDA provided Annovis with guidance for two Phase 3 clinical trials of Buntanetap as a treatment for Parkinson's in parallel with its Alzheimer's program. … China’s National Medical Products Administration has accepted the submission of a new drug application for Olinvyk filed by Trevena Inc’s partner, Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical. Olinvyk received FDA approval in June 2020 for use in adults for the management of acute pain severe enough to require an intravenous opioid analgesic. Trevena (NASDAQ: TRVN) of Chesterbrook entered into an exclusive license agreement in 2018 with Nhwa to develop, manufacture, and commercialize Olinvyk in China.
