April 10, 2008 — /PRNewswire/ — PRINCETON, NJ — Laureate Pharma, Inc., a full-service biopharmaceutical development and protein production company, today announced that it has entered into a cGMP contract manufacturing agreement with Alopexx Pharmaceuticals, LLC. According to the agreement, Laureate will produce Alopexx’s mAb F598 antibody under cGMP conditions. This antibody is planned for use in clinical trials and later for commercial production for the treatment and prevention of Staphylococcus aureus infections. Terms of the manufacturing agreement were not disclosed.
“We are pleased that Alopexx chose Laureate Pharma as their manufacturing partner,” says Robert J. Broeze, Ph. D., president and CEO of Laureate. “We will closely collaborate with the Alopexx team and help them drive their product from development into the clinic.”
“Laureate Pharma has a track record of demonstrated expertise in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, including capabilities in both clinical and commercial-grade materials,” says Dr. Daniel Vlock, president and CEO of Alopexx. “We look forward to our partnership with Laureate and advancing our antibody therapeutics program into the clinic.”
About Laureate Pharma, Inc.
Laureate Pharma is a full-service biopharmaceutical development and protein production company located in Princeton, NJ. Laureate Pharma offers superior bioprocessing services that accelerate new products from development through production. Laureate provides a wide range of specialized services from process design and development to full-scale cGMP production, purification, aseptic filling, testing, validation, analytical services, and regulatory support. Laureate is focused on two active segments of the biopharmaceutical industry: monoclonal antibodies and recombinant protein products. Laureate Pharma, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE:SFE).
Visit www.laureatepharma.com
About Alopexx Pharmaceuticals, LLC
Alopexx Pharmaceuticals was founded to develop a promising new treatment for serious Staphylococcus aureus infections, including those caused by methicillin-resistant strains known as MRSA. In the past decade, MRSA has emerged as a major public health problem. Due to the increasing volume of antimicrobial usage around the world, MRSA and many bacteria have become increasingly resistant to most commonly used antibiotics. MAb F598 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that has the potential to serve as an alternative to antibiotics in the fight against MRSA and other S. aureus infections. Unlike antibiotics, monoclonal antibodies will not lead to the development of bacterial resistance. The target of the antibody is a carbohydrate on the bacterial capsule known as PNAG. PNAG has been found to be a critical factor in the virulence and immune response to MRSA as well as non-MRSA staphylococcal infections and is also expressed by other bacterial pathogens. Alopexx Pharmaceuticals, LLC was co-founded by Gerald Pier, PhD and Daniel Vlock, MD. Its aim is to develop and explore the use of novel therapies for the treatment and prevention of MRSA and other serious infections.
Visit www.alopexx.com