Catalent Biologics & MGC Pharma Announce Partnership: Biomanufacturing In Asia
Somerset, NJ & Tokyo, Japan – January 19, 2015 — Catalent Pharma Solutions, the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics and consumer health products, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. (MGC), today jointly announced that they have entered into a partnership agreement to co-promote Catalent’s proprietary GPEx® technology in the Asian market. MGC is a major chemical engineering company, and recently established a subsidiary, MGC Pharma Co., Ltd., to provide contract development, and clinical and commercial manufacturing of biologics in Asia. Through the collaboration, MGC Pharma’s customers will benefit from GPEx technology’s production of stable and high yielding cell lines, while bringing their development programs to market faster.
Under the agreement, Catalent will engineer the cell lines and carry out development, and MGC Pharma will provide Phase III and commercial manufacturing. Additionally, MGC and MGC Pharma will be able to offer biosimilar cell lines produced using GPEx technology to pharmaceutical partners for further product development and commercialization.
“There are great synergies between MGC Pharma and Catalent in terms of technologies and business structure,” commented Masami Orisaku, President of MGC Pharma. “MGC and Catalent will complement each other in the growth of our biologics businesses and in supporting our customers’ requirements in the Asian market.”
Mike Jenkins, Vice President of Business Development, Catalent Biologics, Asia Pacific, added, “This agreement will allow Catalent to continue to grow its biologics development and manufacturing interests of multiple NBEs and biosimilars, particularly in the Asia Pacific market. The collaboration with MGC Pharma fits Catalent’s strategy for growth in what we consider to be a promising region.”
Tadahiro Matsumura, President of Catalent Japan commented: “We are very excited to offer not only reliable softgel business solutions but also superior biologics solutions to our customers in Asia. This collaboration reinforces our position as a leading supplier of advanced drug delivery technologies and development solutions.”
MGC Pharma was launched in April 2014 in response to emerging social needs for medical proteins obtained solely from mammalian cell cultures. MGC Pharma currently has analytical facilities in Niigata, Japan, and is establishing larger scale cGMP manufacturing sites utilizing GPEx mammalian cell lines and single-use bioreactor (SUB) technologies.
Catalent Biologics has expressed over 460 cell lines for clients using the GPEx technology, with dozens of on-going clinical trials throughout the world and five products currently on the market. The company’s state-of-the-art facility in Madison, WI employs single-use technologies to offer flexible, cGMP production from 10 L to 1,000 L scale, and non-GMP production up to 250 L scale. Manufacturing is supported by integrated analytical, formulation development and viral clearance capabilities, small-scale and large-scale process development laboratories, and separate microbiology and Quality Control functions.
Media Contacts:
Chris Halling
+44 (0)7580 041073
chris.halling@catalent.com
Richard Kerns
+44 (0) 161 728 5880
richard@nepr.eu
About MGC Pharma, Inc.
MGC Pharma can apply various techniques like cell culture, purification, scale-up and QC which MGC, a parent company of MGC Pharma, has developed up until today to mammalian cell culture. Moreover, we can contribute to technological development for high quality and safety treatment while providing contract development and production service for biopharmaceutical production including antibody medicine. For more information, visit http://www.mgc-pharma.com
About Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.
Since its inception in 1918, MGC has consistently worked toward the creation of new technologies and values. From basic chemicals to functional materials and health care, we have provided uniquely innovative products in a wide range of fields. In 2000 we introduced an in-house company system, creating the current MGC Group as a conglomeration of over 120 companies in Japan and overseas, built upon 4 core companies. With the establishment of the new company, MGC will develop relevant operation quicker than before and strengthen its competitiveness in the field which will allow MGC to win contracts manufacturing of substances used for antibody drugs. MGC is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. For more information, visit http://www.mgc.co.jp
About Catalent
Catalent Pharma Solutions is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics and consumer health products. With over 80 years serving the industry, Catalent has proven expertise in bringing more customer products to market faster, enhancing product performance and ensuring reliable clinical and commercial product supply. Catalent employs approximately 8,000 people, including over 1,000 scientists, at nearly 30 facilities across 5 continents, and in fiscal 2014 generated more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue. Catalent is headquartered in Somerset, N.J. For more information, visit www.catalent.com
Forward Looking Statements
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