- Ferring Pharmaceuticals has secured a long-term supplier, SK pharmteco, for the bladder cancer gene therapy, Adstiladrin.
- Production at Ferring’s facilities in Finland and Parsippany, New Jersey is expected to reach full capacity by 2025.
Ferring Pharmaceuticals has secured a long-term supplier for its bladder cancer gene therapy, Adstiladrin. The company has entered into an agreement with SK pharmteco, who will be responsible for the manufacture, testing, and release of the medicine.
The partnership comes after Adstiladrin received FDA approval in late 2022 and Ferring Pharmaceuticals established an unfettered supply of the therapy earlier this year. The agreement with SK pharmteco is set to follow regulatory clearances and the completion of a technology transfer process.
“Ferring takes its responsibilities to patients with high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC very seriously – especially when pioneering in the emerging field of gene therapy commercial manufacturing,” said Bipin Dalmia, Global Head, Uro-Oncology Franchise, Ferring Pharmaceuticals. “Following our January announcement of full availability of Adstiladrin® across the U.S. and expansion of our clinical trials program, this agreement with SK pharmteco comes alongside major investments in our own manufacturing capabilities to assure the breadth of our long-term supply base. Stable and sustainable supply is a vital part of our mission to fill this unmet clinical need for the patients we serve.”
In addition to SK’s contributions, the drug’s long-term supply base will come from capacity expansions currently underway at Ferring’s facilities in Finland and Parsippany, New Jersey. The drugmaker said it will disclose updates on those projects later this year.
“SK pharmteco is proud to partner with Ferring Pharmaceuticals as a manufacturer of the breakthrough gene therapy Adstiladrin®,” said Joerg Ahlgrimm, Chief Executive Officer for SK pharmteco. “Our integrated approach, incorporating customisable clinical and commercial GMP manufacturing solutions with comprehensive in-process testing, quality control, and lot release programs, provides unparalleled support to our partners throughout their product lifecycle and is in perfect alignment with our mission of expediting the delivery of potentially life-saving therapies to patients across the globe.”
Production at these sites is expected to reach full capacity by 2025. At this point, Ferring expects to receive $200 million in milestone payments from Royalty Pharma through a royalty deal worth up to $500 million. This is a testament to the company’s commitment to advancing treatments for bladder cancer and meeting the needs of patients worldwide.
