SAFC Pharma business segment, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group, has been appointed by Curalogic to provide protein isolation, extraction and purification services related to the development of products focused on allergic rhinitis.

Curalogic will seek to develop pharmaceuticals that are just as effective as injection immunotherapy and also offer patients the convenience and safety equal to that of the best symptomatic treatments. Key products include a ragweed pollen extract that has just completed Phase II trials, a grass pollen extract and cat extract currently in Phase II, and a house dust mite extract that is in preclinical trials. These compounds have the potential to treat a variety of allergies.

SAFC Pharma will begin initial phases of the project at the St. Louis protein purification and extraction facility. These phases explore development of grass and house dust mite compounds to determine a suitable process for producing sufficient quantities of cGMP material for future clinical trials and commercial launch of these products. Subsequent phases of the Curalogic project will be transferred into SAFC’s new cGMP protein extraction and purification facility after its scheduled completion in April 2007.

Ove Pedersen, executive vice president of development at Curalogic, said, “We are looking forward to working with SAFC in this field, as process development is such an important area for biological products. SAFC’s expertise in development of products derived from natural-sourced materials will be of great value to Curalogic.”

Frank Wicks, SAFC president, said, “This appointment by Curalogic for protein purification and contract research is the perfect fit for our new protein extraction and purification pilot plant facility currently under construction in St. Louis. SAFC is a recognized leader in cGMP extraction and purification of therapeutic proteins from natural-sourced material, and we are pleased to act as Curalogic’s partner for the development and manufacturing of these allergy products.”