January 18, 2006 — /MARKET WIRE/ — SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Althea Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of innovative technologies and services for pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, announced today that it has completed the initial phase of its manufacturing facility expansion. The goal for the expansion project is to satisfy an ever-growing demand for Althea’s aseptic fill/finish, lyophilization, DNA vaccines and protein production services. The project includes expansion of the existing cGMP manufacturing facilities including an overall increase of Althea’s fermentation and purification facilities by 30%, a doubling of early manufacturing suites, allowing for a significant gain in project scheduling and flexibility.
The facility expansion is a continuation of Althea’s dedication to meeting its clients’ requirements for development and manufacture of novel biopharmaceuticals. The facility expansion closely follows the recent addition of lyophilization services, which has further increased Althea’s ability to manufacture proteins and vaccines that have enhanced stability for long-term storage and distribution.
Rick Hancock, Althea’s Chief Operations Officer, stated, “The expansion of our fermentation and purification facilities will allow us to better meet our clients’ aggressive timelines, while maintaining Althea’s strict quality and compliance standards. Many of our clients are targeting significant public health concerns such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, and avian flu, and this expansion will greatly increase our ability to deliver clinical materials in a timely manner.” Co-President and Co-CEO of Althea, Dr. Magda Marquet, added, “We are excited to expand the number of production suites we provide for bulk and finished pharmaceutical products, our fastest growing business segment, to facilitate rapid clinical development of innovative biopharmaceutical products.”
About Althea Technologies, Inc.
Althea Technologies, a leading San Diego-based pharmaceutical services firm, provides critical manufacturing and development services that support researchers worldwide in their advancement of novel therapies and efforts to apply new genomic information. Althea’s services include cGMP contract manufacturing of recombinant proteins, DNA-based therapeutics and vaccines, aseptic filling, and gene quantification using real-time PCR and gene expression analysis under GLP conditions. Additionally, Althea has introduced new services and technologies for the identification and understanding of gene signatures with innovative tools such as the company’s proprietary eXpress Profiling(tm) technology. For more information, visit www.altheatech.com.
Contact:
Althea Technologies, Inc.
Alan Moore
Executive Vice President and CBO
(858) 882-0205
[email protected]
SOURCE: Althea Technologies, Inc.