Cambrex extends Ontak contract

Cambrex Bio Science, a subsidiary of Cambrex Corp, has won an additional five-year contract to manufacture a biopharmaceutical product developed by Ligand Pharmaceuticals.

The new deal means that Cambrex​ will manufacture commercial supplies of Ligand's Ontak (denileukin diftitox), a fusion protein used in the treatment of various haematological cancers. In addition, Cambrex will also manufacture clinical supplies of a new formulation of the drug that is in the latter stages of clinical development.

The products will be manufactured at the Cambrex Bio Science facility located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Under the terms of the agreement, which extends through 2008, Cambrex will continue to be the primary supplier of the drug substance for Ontak and will also manufacture the drug substance for the second generation version, which has improved purity and is a lyophilised formulation.

Ligand intends to file for regulatory approval of the second-generation product by early 2005, and said the roll-out of this drug, as well as new clinical data that should extend the use of Ontak into solid tumours such as non-small cell lung cancer, will help build the franchise in Europe and Japan over the next few years.

Ontak had net sales of $16.4 million (€14m) in the first half of 2003, up 21 per cent compared to the same period of 2002.