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Boehringer Ingelheim signs a licence agreement with XstalBio for its protein formulation and drug delivery technology |
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17 May 2006 |
BIBERACH, Germany and GLASGOW, UK | May 16, 2006 | XstalBio, UK, has signed a licence agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany, for its pioneering protein-coated microcrystal (PCMC) technology. As part of the agreement, XstalBio will receive milestone payments and manufacturing rights to the jointly developed manufacturing process.
XstalBio is a company specialising in the formulation of protein-based drugs into particles that can be engineered for advanced drug delivery applications. A spin-out in 2004, from the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow, XstalBio’s platform technology allows a wide range of protein-based drugs to be formulated for parenteral, transdermal and pulmonary delivery.
Dr. Marie-Claire Parker, CEO, at XstalBio said “We are delighted to enter into this collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, a world recognised player in the biotechnology arena. This agreement marks a significant milestone in the development of XstalBio, providing us with a strong partner in further development and endorsement of our technology”.
Boehringer Ingelheim believes that the collaboration with XstalBio will provide improved methods for the formulation and delivery of biomolecules. The technology provides a highly differentiated method for preparing biomolecules as stable, solid formulations, with the particles capable of being engineered for delivery in a range of formulations via various routes of administration. Both partners will jointly develop and scale-up the PCMC technology for GMP manufacturing at Pilot scale.
About Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 143 affiliates in 47 countries and almost 37,500 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.
In 2005, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 9.5 billion euro while spending almost one fifth of net sales in its largest business segment Prescription Medicines on research and development.
Boehringer Ingelheim offers the entire production technology chain at its biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Vienna (Austria), Biberach (Germany) and St. Joseph/ Missouri (USA) with additional fill-and-finish capacities in Bedford/Ohio (USA). Boehringer Ingelheim has the world’s largest capacities for contract development and manufacturing of mammalian cell culture products and is Europe’s leading manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals. While the site in Biberach is specialized in the production of biopharmaceuticals using high expression mammalian cell cultures, the site in Vienna is focused on high expression in microorganisms and yeast.
About XstalBio
XstalBio’s proprietary technology has the potential to improve therapeutic value, strengthen patent cover for new biological entities and extend product life-cycles. XstalBio is based in Glasgow, having spun-out from the Strathclyde and Glasgow Universities in 2004.
SOURCE: XstalBio |
