Download Selexys - Neighbors work on new drug

Selexys - Neighbors work on new drug
Oklahoman, 7/2/07 By Jim Stafford, Business Writer
Cytovance Biologics has signed up another client for its cell tissue production business, and this time it's a neighbor
in the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park.
Cytovance will produce the cell line that will produce antibodies for a new drug to fight sickle cell disease under
development by Selexys Pharmaceuticals Corp., officials said Wednesday.
No financial terms of the deal were released.
"We launched a project with them just recently to do some pre-clinical development work on our antibodies,” said
Richard Alvarez, chief operating officer for Selexys. "We're excited about that because it's a major program for us.
We're working to move these compounds into (clinical trials) eventually.”
The process that Cytovance will use establishes a cell line that can be used for the manufacture of the antibodies.
The drug that Selexys is developing must first be tested in animals to establish there are not toxicity issues and that it
is safe to be used in human testing, Alvarez said.
Cytovance will complete the project in its Research Park laboratories that are adjacent to its new multi-product
production facility opened earlier this year in the park. Cytovance announced its first manufacturing project for that
44,000 square-foot facility in February.
The relationship established between Cytovance and Selexys because of their proximity in the Presbyterian Health
Foundation Research Park was a major factor in the new working arrangement, Alvarez said.
"This is a highly competitive space,” he said. "We know the people over there, and we had a relationship with them
already. We had confidence after visiting with them that they could do what we wanted them to do.
"We are pretty optimistic that we can get what we need out of this first project. We've done other projects with people
out of state and out of country, and it's a major challenge when the parties are not local.”
Cytovance announced the first major contract for its new biologics manufacturing plant earlier this year, and the
Selexys deal appears to be the first involving an Oklahoma company.
"It is particularly gratifying to be able to work with another Oklahoma City-based company,” said Roger Lias, vice
president of sales and business development.
Cytovance was founded to help biopharmaceutical companies advance protein and antibody products rapidly and
cost-effectively from the research bench through clinical development and into the marketplace.
The deal between the two Oklahoma companies was described by Mike Anderson, president of the Presbyterian
Health Foundation as the "beginning of the beginning” of many such manufacturing projects at the research park. As
a result, some major researchers from both coasts are considering establishing positions at the PHF Research Park,
Anderson said.
"It is the sophistication and expertise of Cytovance that plays an important role in this recruiting process, as well as
the vast opportunity that lies ahead for several of our science companies,” Anderson said. "Very soon a major
Oklahoma institution shall be announcing a deal with Cytovance. It is not too early for those of us involved in the PHF
Research Park to consider ‘how, when, where' we assist Cytovance with future expansion.”
In fact, Anderson envisions what he called a "fill and finish” drug manufacturing center that will be established on the
research park campus.
That would be the facility that would actually produce the FDA approved product for the market place, he said.