MilliporeSigma has partnered with Acticor Biotech SAS to provide its Provantage end-to-end services for accelerated development and manufacturing of Acticor’s antibody fragment used for the primary treatment of ischemic stroke. 

MilliporeSigma’s Provantage solution is a comprehensive suite of products and services enabling biopharmaceutical companies to accelerate progress of molecules into the clinic and toward commercialization.

“Our Provantage end-to-end solution will provide Acticor with a fast and flexible approach to development and clinical-scale manufacturing,” said Udit Batra, member of the executive board of Merck KGaA and chief executive officer, MilliporeSigma. “We look forward to executing full process development for the antibody fragment, which will help accelerate this important new molecule through the pipeline to patients in need.”

The turnkey package includes process development, cGMP clinical manufacturing, quality and regulatory support, training, commercial facilities design, engineering and build-up as well as production equipment supply and process technical transfer activities.

“Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the world and the first cause of disabilities in adults,” said Gilles Avenard, chief executive officer, Acticor Biotech. “Motivated by these statistics, we are developing innovative therapeutic strategies for safe and effective emergency treatment of the acute phase of ischemic strokes. Through our collaboration with MilliporeSigma, we now have access to a comprehensive set of development and manufacturing services that will help us deliver on our mission.”