Albumedix tech key to Chinese efforts to develop once-a-week diabetes drug
The collaboration – financial terms of which were not disclosed – will use Albumedix’ albumin to extend the half-life of a modified glucagon-like-peptide albumin conjugate called Albenatide that is being developed for the Chinese market.
Albenatide was developed by Changshan and partner ConjuChem using the latter firm’s drug affinity complex (DAC) technology. The idea is to prevent therapeutic proteins being degraded or rapidly excreted by attaching albumin.
Albumedix will be supplying its recombinant albumin to Changshan for remaining clinical development and for commercial production of the product if it goes on to be approved for the treatment of type II diabetes in China.
Albumedix COO Svend Erik Licht told us “The Albenatide project is currently in phase I and expected to move into Phase II later this year.”
He added that: “The project has a fast-track (Green Channel) approval in China, which has accelerated the regulatory approval process for Hebei Changsan Biochem Pharma significantly.”
Albumedix’ albumin technology – known as its Veltis platform – is already being used in number of commercial products.
For example, CSL Behring is using it to extend the half-life of its haemophilia B treatment Idelvion, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) in March.
Similarly, GSK’s type II diabetes drug Eperzan (albiglutide) – which is known as Tanzeum in the US – also uses the Veltis technology.
