Chromos signs deal with AppTec for multiple sclerosis drug candidate

Chromos Molecular Systems, Inc., (CHR) has signed a contract with AppTec Laboratory Services, Inc., (AppTec) for scale-up and manufacture of its monoclonal antibody drug product candidate CHR-1103.

Chromos has used its proprietary ACE System to engineer cell lines for CHR-1103; AppTec will scale up and manufacture CHR-1103 for use in preclinical toxicology studies and phase I clinical trials.

"This contract is an important step forward in the development of CHR-1103," said Alistair Duncan, president and CEO of Chromos. "We are pleased to use our team's proven expertise in cell line engineering with the ACE System to develop our product candidates cost effectively and to work in partnership with AppTec to manufacture this innovative treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS)."

CHR-1103 is one of two drug product candidates gained through Chromos' acquisition of Targeted Molecules Corp. in February 2006. A humanized monoclonal antibody for the treatment of the inflammatory disease, CHR-1103 is being developed initially to treat acute flares associated with relapsing forms of MS. The drug's unique mechanism of action has the potential to reduce the severity of a relapse and stem the residual neurological damage that often accompanies progression of the disease, positioning CHR-1103 to fill an unmet medical need for an effective acute treatment of MS.

Chromos plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for CHR-1103 in 2007. The company's second product candidate, CHR-1201, is being developed to treat acute thrombosis and offers the possibility of effective treatment of thrombosis involving the brain without the risk of bleeding.

The ACE System is Chromos' proprietary platform for rapidly generating production-quality cell lines. The ACE System's performance, speed and versatility are key advantages for generating cell lines for research, development and manufacture of biopharmaceuticals.

Chromos and AppTec are strategic partners who offer the biopharmaceutical industry a broad range of cell line engineering and contract manufacturing services. The companies formed a non-exclusive co-marketing agreement in February 2005. They are jointly marketing Chromos' expertise with cell line engineering with its ACE System and AppTec's expertise in scale-up, manufacturing and testing of biopharmaceuticals, offering customers a high-yield, fast-track solution.

This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com