[Infostock Daily=Reporter Park Jeong-Do] Celltrion and Celltrion Healthcare (hereinafter referred to as Celltrion Group) announced on the 20th that they have signed a joint research agreement with Intract Pharma, a British bio company, to start full-fledged development of oral infliximab.
Intract Pharma is a bio company that was sprayed from University College London in 2015. We have collaborated with various global pharmaceutical companies such as Abbey, Jansen, and Merck with our own oral formulation technology that efficiently delivers protein drugs to the intestines.
Based on its successful development of the world's first IV-type ramshima and the first subcutaneous injection (SC) formulation, the Celltrion Group has solidified its leading position in the global 55 trillion won TNF- (tumor necrosis factor) inhibitor market and launched oral infliximab development so that the Ramshima brand can be introduced to the medical community with various options.
According to the terms of the agreement, Celltrion Group will supply Infliximab to Intract Pharma as a clinical raw material, and Intract Pharma will develop and verify oral infliximab products based on this.
In addition, Celltrion Group secured the right to exercise preferential negotiating rights when completing Phase 2 clinical trials and the right to return some of its sales to royalties even when licensed out (technology exports). Even if an intract perm or technology transfer company succeeds in commercializing the product, Celltrion Group will exclusively supply infliximab for commercial material production.
When commercialization is successfully completed through this joint development, the first oral inflicsimab targeting the IBD (inflammatory growth disease) market will be introduced to the market, and the two companies expect the product to have a significant impact on the inflicsimab market as well as the TNF- inhibitor market.
In particular, Intract Pharma is in a leading position in the field of technology platforms that stably deliver antibodies to the intestines, and the cooperation of the two companies is expected to help develop oral antibodies, including oral inflicsimab treatments.
Intract Pharma is already exempted from Phase I nonclinical and clinical trials for oral infliximab from the UK Office for Drug Healthcare Products Regulation (MHRA) and will begin clinical 1b/2a for IBD patients in the second half of next year.
The global IBD market is expected to grow net to US$2 billion (about KRW24 trillion) by 2026, and Celltrion Group plans to further strengthen its competitiveness in the TNF- inhibitor market by developing infliximab products, which range from intravenous and subcutaneous injections to oral pills, in line with various needs of the market.
Reporter Park Jeong-Do newface0301@naver.com
