Catalent and Grid Therapeutics Form Immuno-Oncology Pact

On Oct. 30, 2017, Catalent announced that it signed a multi-year agreement with Grid Therapeutics, an oncology-focused biotech company, to develop and manufacture Grid’s lead therapeutic candidate for the treatment of solid tumors.

Under the agreement, Catalent Biologics will use its patented GPEx cell line technology to develop cell lines and manufacture antibodies in the process of cGMP bulk drug production. The project will be undertaken at Catalent’s biomanufacturing facility in Madison, Wisconsin.

Grid’s research is based on the identification of specific tumor immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in patients with early-stage cancer. Grid obtained the sequence of its lead IgG3 antibody directly from B cells in cancer patients using molecular genomic techniques. According to the company, GT103, the company’s lead asset, is expected to initiate a Phase I clinical trial in advanced-stage solid tumor patients in the first half of 2019.

“Catalent regularly and successfully partners with innovator companies looking to bring new, important therapies to market faster, and a patient-derived IgG3 monoclonal antibody would be a significant advancement in optimized treatments,” said Mike Riley, vice president and general manager of Catalent Biologics, in a company press release.

This collaboration is the most recent in a series of investments in Catalent’s biologics business, having completed its acquisition of Cook Pharmica, a biologics contract development and manufacturing organization, in October 2017.

Source: Catalent