Date: 2015-12-16
Type of information: Collaboration agreement
Compound:
Company: AstraZeneca (UK) WuXi AppTec (China)
Therapeutic area:
Type agreement: collaboration
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Disease:
Details: * On December 16, 2015, AstraZeneca, along with MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, announced a range of strategic initiatives to accelerate the delivery of innovative biologics and targeted medicines to patients in China. The initiatives and investments include: - A strategic alliance with WuXi AppTec, a leading Chinese biologics manufacturer and contract research organisation, to produce innovative biologics locally in China. Under the agreement, AstraZeneca has the option to acquire WuXi AppTec’s biologics manufacturing capacity in Wuxi City in the next few years through an overall investment approximating $100 million. Prior to that, Wuxi AppTec remains the company’s exclusive partner for R&D manufacturing for innovative biologics in China. This strategic alliance will bring cutting-edge research and technical capability for biologics to China with the aim of addressing unmet patient needs in AstraZeneca’s main therapy areas of respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity; cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and oncology. The alliance builds on the existing joint venture between MedImmune and WuXi AppTec to develop and commercialise MEDI5117, a novel biologic for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, in China. - An investment of $50 million to build an additional development and launch facility alongside our existing manufacturing site in Wuxi City to support the development and manufacture of innovative small molecules discovered in China and our global R&D sites. - Additional investments include the creation of a new global hub for Pharmaceutical Development – alongside those in the UK and Sweden with up to 50 scientists based in Shanghai and Wuxi City, to support both China and global needs. AstraZeneca is also establishing an integrated China medicines development organisation, bringing together early and late-stage medicines development across small molecules and biologics. In April 2015, WuXi announced that it is building the largest state-of-the-art biomanufacturing facility globally, using fourteen 2000L and two 1000L disposable bioreactors, which will support late-phase clinical and commercial manufacturing. The first phase of the facility will be operational in January 2017.
These investments and dedicated R&D capabilities are aimed at accelerating Chinese patients’ access to innovative medicines to address significant unmet need in AstraZeneca’s main therapy areas - respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity; cardiovascular and metabolic diseases; and oncology. AstraZeneca’s commitment to bring cutting-edge biopharmaceutical science to China and to partner with the local science community is aligned with the Chinese Government’s focus on increasing innovation to support economic development and access to healthcare.
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