BioInvent Enters into Production Agreement Expected to Generate $30 million

BioInvent International, a Sweden-based clinical-stage company focused on immuno-modulatory antibodies for cancer therapies, announced a production agreement with Cancer Research UK, an independent funder of cancer research, to produce Hummingbird Bioscience’s anti-HER3 antibody drug HMBD-001for use within a clinical partnership between Cancer Research UK and Hummingbird Bioscience to test the agent in a Phase I trial, according to an Oct. 23, 2019 press release.

The agreement, which is set to generate approximately SEK 30 million (US$3 million) in 2020, will include process, analytical, and formulation development; process scale-up; and manufacturing of toxicology and clinical-grade material in 200-L and 1000-L scale of the drug for Cancer Research UK, according to the release.

The drug will be produced at BioInvent’s manufacturing facility, which is based on disposable technology and can produce batches in sizes from 40 L to 1000 L.

“We are very pleased to have concluded an agreement to provide this service to Cancer Research UK and are looking forward to producing Hummingbird’s drug candidate for clinical trials. The fact that BioInvent has its own production facility gives us added flexibility, meaning we can develop our proprietary immuno-oncology programs more efficiently, and also generate revenue from our services to help fund our pipeline,” says Martin Welschof, CEO of BioInvent, in the press release.

HMBD-001 is the only anti-HER3 antibody that attaches to the most critical region involved in activation, turning off this signal completely, according to the release. If successful in clinical trials, the drug could be used for the treatment of several cancers and be effective against drug resistant cancers.

“We are delighted to be partnering with BioInvent who will produce Hummingbird Bioscience’s anti-HER3 antibody, ready to be tested in clinical trials,” said Dr. Nigel Blackburn, Cancer Research UK’s director of drug development, in the press release. “Our clinical development partnerships fast track promising new treatments like this through one of the most difficult stages of drug development, benefitting people with cancer much sooner.”

Source: BioInvent