Brisbane biotechs get cosy in manufacturing contract

A drug manufacturing contract signed between two Brisbane biotech companies shows how Queensland's maturing biotech sector is creating opportunities for cross-pollination between its different layers.

The contract calls for Progen Industries to manufacture the anti-cancer compound PEP 005, developed by Peplin Biotech as a prescription topical drug for non-melanoma skin cancer.

Peplin is on track for a filing with the US Food and Drug Administration later this year, which is expected to clear the way for full-scale clinical trials of PEP005, according to the company.

The contract with Progen ensures adequate supplies of the drug will be on hand to meet the demands of the trials, said Peplin managing director Garry Redlich.

Only a few grams will be produced under the contract which starts this month. A single gram of PEP005 is enough to support 45,000 treatments and supply most of the needs of a clinical trial, but extra amounts will be manufactured to meet toxicology testing and formulation development requirements.

Although not large in dollar terms, the contract is an example of the growing collaboration between the research, manufacturing and commercialisation arms of the biotech community.

Progen's cGMP-accredited systems give its facilities international standing and give it an advantage shared by only three or four other Australian companies.

Both Progen and Peplin are based in Brisbane and the proximity is a positive factor, according to Peplin's Redlich.

"It makes it easier for us to implement any specification changes that we may develop [in the course of the contract]," he said.

Until now, Peplin had manufactured PEP005 using facilities at the Queensland Institute for Medical Research, but future production required a cGMP environment such as Progen's, which could not be easily replicated at QIMR.