Intellect Neurosciences to award Conjumab-A production to Lonza

Published: 27-Sep-2012

Lonza will supply preclinical study material, initially focusing on AMD


US biopharmaceutical company Intellect Neurosciences has announced its intention to award the development and manufacture of its antibody drug conjugate Conjumab-A to Lonza, subject to the completion of a definitive development and manufacturing agreement.

Lonza will supply the preclinical study material for the drug optimisation and selection for Intellect’s Conjumab-A, initially focusing on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with potential applications for Alzheimer’s disease.

Stefan Stoffel, head of Lonza Chemical Manufacturing, said. ‘We have already generated a detailed road map for the optimisation and manufacture of Conjumab-A, and are excited to be associated with this entirely novel and promising application for antibody-drug conjugates.’

Intellect Neurosciences is engaged in the discovery and development of disease-modifying therapeutic agents for the treatment of proteinopathies.

The new project is expected to include in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate both therapeutic and prophylactic potential in AMD testing different chemical variants manufactured by Lonza.

Intellect says it also plans to work with a number of independent specialised contract research organisations to evaluate the compounds produced by Lonza in Visp, Switzerland.

Dan Shochat, Intellect Neurosciences’ consulting vp of development and a pioneer in the development of antibody drug conjugates for cancer treatments, said: “Conjumab-A is intended to address an important unmet need in AMD, which is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 55. We anticipate improved efficacy compared with naked amyloid beta antibodies currently in clinical development for AMD.

‘The selection of Lonza as our manufacturer, just under a year since we introduced the platform, represents an important next step in the evolution of Intellect Neurosciences,’ added Daniel Chain, chairman and ceo.

Relevant companies

You may also like