The global licensing agreement will see both companies perform R&D and qualification activities of ReForm Biologic’s excipients before commercialization.
MilliporeSigma will be responsible for the funding of all R&D, as well as the commercialization activities, good manufacturing practice (GMP), and sales of the eventual product. In return, ReForm will receive revenues from the use of the product in biologic formulations.
According ReForm, its excipient technology is able to provide various benefits for the formulation of biotherapeutics, including making the delivery easier, reducing immunogenic activity, providing a more stable product that is more efficient to produce.
As a result, ReForm suggests its technology can create ‘biobetters’ and offers an opportunity to extend a product’s lifecycle.
The excipients are able to do this by potentially enabling drug delivery through subcutaneous injection or through device-assisted administration.
John Sorvillo, CEO of ReForm, said, “As more biologics are being developed to treat a broad range of diseases ranging from cancer to orphan indications, we believe there will be a growing demand for new excipients that can enhance the patient experience, improve patient outcomes, and potentially extend the patent life of a therapeutic.”
Previously, ReForm received an equity investment by KBI, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), with the former gaining access to ReForm’s proprietary technology in return.