Transgenic Experience Brings in New Project
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., May 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cambrex
Corporation (NYSE: CBM) is pleased to announce that its subsidiary Cambrex
Bio Science Hopkinton, Inc. has entered a contract for the production of
clinical trial quantities of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals' ("Merrimack") lead
product MM-093, a recombinant version of human alpha-fetoprotein (hAFP).
The material is expected to be used in Merrimack's ongoing research to
assess the potential of MM-093 to treat multiple autoimmune diseases,
including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and others.
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Merrimack Pharmaceuticals is currently conducting Phase 2 trials of
MM-093 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or with psoriasis. MM-093 is a
recombinant version of hAFP; an immunomodulatory serum protein normally
produced at very high levels by a fetus but present in lower levels in the
blood of adults and children. The presence of hAFP in a pregnant mother's
blood has long been associated with remission of many autoimmune diseases,
including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis during the
third trimester of pregnancy.
Cambrex has completed several batches of MM-093 and is in the process
of completing the production run. Cambrex is a leading contract
manufacturer in North America with extensive experience in the downstream
purification of proteins expressed in goat milk.
"We believe that the quality manufacturing expertise that Cambrex
offers will help us to efficiently and effectively move our lead product,
MM-093, to commercialization," said Fazal Khan, Vice President of
Manufacturing at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals.
"Our experience with the purification of proteins from transgenic milk
was certainly an advantage in successfully manufacturing Merrimack's
MM-093," commented Anthony Rotunno, Vice President and General Manager,
Cambrex Bio Science Hopkinton, Inc. "We were honored that Merrimack placed
the cGMP manufacture of their lead product in our hands as they progress
MM-093 into future clinical trials."
About Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on
the discovery and development of novel treatments for diseases in the areas
of autoimmune disease and cancer. Its lead compound, MM-093, is currently
in clinical development to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis or with
psoriasis. MM-093 is an investigational drug and has not been approved by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any international regulatory
agency. The Company's proprietary Network Biology discovery platform,
developed in concert with leading scientists from MIT and Harvard, enables
the high throughput profiling of protein networks as a basis for improved
validation, lead identification and speed in the development of innovative,
effective and safe therapeutics. For additional information, please visit
http://www.merrimackpharma.com.
About Cambrex
Cambrex is a global, diversified life sciences company dedicated to
providing products and services to accelerate and improve the discovery and
commercialization of human therapeutics. The Company employs approximately
2000 worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.cambrex.com.
SOURCE Cambrex Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.cambrex.com
http://www.merrimackpharma.com
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CONTACT:
Anne-Marie Hess, Sr. Director, Investor
Relations and Corporate Communications of Cambrex Corporation,
+1-201-804-3062, annemarie.hess@cambrex.com
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