Sterling, Seqens in biotech agreements

Two European CDMOs better known for their traditional chemistry offers have separately announced manufacturing agreements on their biological sides with biotechs. Sterling Pharma Solutions’ antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) business will make Phase I clinical trial volumes of GlycoNex’s GNX102-ADC, while Seqens’ CellForCure cell and gene business will industrialise clinical batches of Smart Immune’s Smart101. 

GNX102 is a humanised monoclonal antibody designed to target novel tumour-associated glycans to inhibit tumour growth that has already cleared Phase I trials. It is now being combined with a cytotoxic in an ADC that will seek to elicit cellular cytotoxicity to target cancer cells of many types with high specificity. Sterling will make this at its site in Deeside, UK (pictured).

Smart101 is in Phase I/II trials for patients with acute leukaemia or primary immunodeficiencies in the EU and the US. Seqens said that CellForCure’s capacity will complement Smart Immune's existing capabilities to support its expanding clinical development, producing Smart101 for the ReSET trials in primary immune deficiencies and haematological malignancies post-transplant, as well as new proof-of-concept trials in solid tumours.