Astellas Pharma (OTCPK:ALPMY +0.9%) will collaborate with Woburn, MA-based ReForm Biologics on reformulating its pipeline of biologic therapies to allow for alternative dosing, specifically subcutaneous injection, more efficient manufacturing and longer product life cycles.
Specifically, the parties will focus on reducing the viscosity of the drugs leveraging ReForm’s know-how in protein-protein and protein-solvent interactions to design excipients (an inactive compound that serves as a vehicle for the drug) that enable injections below the skin or device-assisted administration. Biologics are typically administered via intravenous infusion.
Source: seekingalpha.com