Bioxel Achieves Manufacturing Milestone

Bioxel Pharma is manufacturing the first industrial scale cGMP batch of its key intermediate for docetaxel, the active ingredient in Taxotere, a chemotherapy drug marketed by Sanofi-Aventis.

“This achievement is significant for Bioxel as it demonstrates our ability to manufacture semi-synthetic taxanes using a high-efficiency patent-protected route that will allow us to meet the demands of leading pharmaceutical companies” said Pascal Delmas, president and chief executive officer of Bioxel Pharma. “Bioxel will be sampling its clients with docetaxel API during the fourth quarter of 2006 and we plan to complete the validation of our manufacturing process in 2007. We thus confirm our objective to broaden our product line and bring two new products to market next year: semi-synthetic paclitaxel and docetaxel. In addition to accessing new markets, docetaxel and semi-synthetic paclitaxel will allow Bioxel to maximize utilization of its taxane manufacturing platform and thus, to improve significantly its competitive position.”

The first patents on docetaxel will expire at the end of 2007, making way for the development of generic Taxotere. Bioxel is actively pursuing commercial discussions with drug companies in an effort to ensure the efficient manufacturing and distribution of docetaxel.