Merck to provide Provantage manufacturing services to Y-mAbs

Published: 2-Aug-2016

Supporting Y-mAbs’ monoclonal antibody in late stage clinical development to treat paediatric brain cancer

  • Includes scale-up and GMP manufacturing of drugs in late-stage development

  • Antibody targets advanced, refractory brain tumours in paediatric patients

  • Merck’s Provantage service is a comprehensive suite of products and services

German science and technology firm Merck will provide its Provantage development and manufacturing services to Y-mAbs Therapeutics.

Merck will support the US biotechnology firm's monoclonal antibody, which is in late stage clinical development.

The antibody is a potential breakthrough treatment for paediatric patients with brain cancer.

Following transfer of Y-mAbs’ lead cell line to Merck, services will include scale-up and GMP manufacturing of an antibody currently in late stage clinical development.

Our Provantage services offer a templated, nimble approach to development and manufacturing

'Paediatric brain cancer is an especially challenging therapeutic area that comes with an extreme sense of urgency,' said Udit Batra, CEO, Life Science at Merck.

'Through our Provantage services, which offer a templated, nimble approach to development and manufacturing, we expect to accelerate progress of this innovative therapeutic for patients in need.'

Thomas Gad, Y-mAbs’ Founder, President and Head of Business Development and Strategy, said: 'Through our agreement with Merck, Y-mAbs takes a major step towards our commitment of making these breakthrough paediatric treatments available to children with advanced and life-threatening cancers.'

He added: 'We expect to take delivery of cGMP drug product for our planned clinical trials by the first half of 2017.'

Merck’s Provantage service is a comprehensive suite of products and services enabling biopharmaceutical companies to accelerate the progression of molecules into the clinic and toward commercialisation.

The turnkey package includes process development, cGMP manufacturing, facility design, equipment for pilot plant production, process and equipment training, technology transfer, equipment qualification and set-up for commercialisation.

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