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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.