Almac adds second high-throughout GMP peptide facility

Global CDMO Almac Group has brought online a second high-throughout facility for the GMP manufacture of its NeoPeptides brand of neoantigen-derived peptides at its site in Edinburgh, UK. This follows the conversion of the facility from non-GMP to GMP manufacture in 2018, by means of a pharmaceutical quality system that was developed specifically for this process. Following a successful MHRA inspection, the site has been producing NeoPeptides since September and released over 80 in its first week of operation.

NeoPeptides are used in the production of patient-specific, individualised cancer vaccines. Speed in production is absolutely critical and the whole supply chain “is focused on minimising the time between the initial patient biopsy and the ultimate vaccine administration”, the company stated. Further expansions of the facility and service offering are anticipated in the coming months.

Demand is growing rapidly for these peptides, which are based on replicating a series of, usually 10-30, neoepitopes from within a specific tumour that has been biopsied and genetically sequenced to identify the epitope mutations. Each is unique to the patient and is manufactured and administered only once. They function by enabling the body’s immune system to fight the cancer.