Piramal Pharma Solutions, the contract development and manufacturing arm of Piramal Enterprises, said on December 3 that it will be partnering with Norway-based BerGenBio for the development of blood cancer drug bemcentinib.
Bemcentinib is used for the treatment of elderly patients with relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
The drug is a first-in-class AXL protein inhibitor (blocks AXL protein) for oncology was recently designated as a fast track status by USFDA, as there are currently no marketed drugs specifically approved for relapsed AML patients, representing a significant unmet medical need.
The bemcentinib development program encompasses a fully integrated program of Piramal's resources that includes intermediates sourced from India, pilot process development and API validation in North America and formulation development in Europe.
As part of the partnership agreement, Piramal is also expected to provide commercial manufacturing of the final drug product.
The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
"BerGenBio’s decision to partner with us is a validation of our integrated business model. The breadth and scale of our assets and our expertise as a leading CDMO allow us to customize services according to their needs and deliver solutions that benefit the patients," said Peter DeYoung, CEO, Piramal Pharma Solutions.
In cancer, AXL suppresses the body’s immune response to tumours and drives cancer treatment failure across many indications. AXL inhibitors, therefore, have potential high value at the centre of cancer combination therapy.
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