Lonza and Opsona Enter Manufacturing Agreement

OPN-305 is being developed by Opsona for phase 1 clinical studies planned for late 2010. OPN-305 is a fully humanised antibody, and positive pre-clinical data has been generated in multiple models of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

27/02/09 Lonza and Opsona have entered into an agreement for the production of the monoclonal antibody OPN-305 developed by Opsona. Under this agreement Lonza will provide process development and cGMP manufacturing services for preclinical and Phase 1 studies using Lonza’s GS Gene Expression System. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

OPN-305 is being developed by Opsona for phase 1 clinical studies planned for late 2010. OPN-305 is a fully humanised antibody, and positive pre-clinical data has been generated in multiple models of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Opsona is a drug development company, focused on novel therapeutic and preventative approaches to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company was founded in 2004 with three of Trinity College Dublin’s respected Immunologists. The company is specifically interested in drugs which modulate the immune system and its signalling, specifically Toll-Like Receptors (TLR). Opsona has a pipeline of therapeutics in advanced pre-clinical development which modulate the immune system, including biologics and small molecules. The company has signed some significant partnering and collaborative deals, such as with Wyeth (USA). The company is based in Dublin and also has laboratories in Lausanne, Switzerland.

During February 2009, Opsona announced the completion of an €18m fundraising supported by Novartis Venture Fund, Fountain Healthcare Partners, Inventages Venture Capital and Seroba Kernel. The company has also recently announced a collaborative research agreement with CSL (Australia) surrounding novel vaccine adjuvant technologies.

“Lonza is pleased to enter into this agreement with Opsona, thus supporting a promising pipeline of an emerging biotech company”, comments Dr. Stephan Kutzer, Head of Lonza Biopharmaceuticals.