Albany Molecular Research and Nobex Announce Joint Research Program

Nobex to Gain Ready Access to Chemistry for Improving Drug Delivery

05-Mar-2002

Albany, NY and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, March 4, 2002 - Nobex Corporation and Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMRI) announced today that they have entered into a collaborative research program to develop a comprehensive library of Nobex proprietary polymers for use in pharmaceuticals as well as in additional applications in the life sciences, cosmetic, food and industrial sectors. The library will immediately enable Nobex scientists to accelerate new drug development by readily accessing multiple, pre-synthesized polymers to attach to drugs and assess new drug delivery benefits.

Under the terms of the agreement, Albany Molecular will provide Nobex with a library of more than 500 unique combinations of small, water and fat-soluble polymers that can provide key delivery advantages to pharmaceutical products, such as compatibility with a variety of water soluble and/or fatty materials. The polymers are composed of two primary elements: polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers, which are highly water-soluble molecules, and novel, low molecular weight fatty acids. The new, patent-protected polymers are chemically pure structures and are made of safe, non-toxic materials that can be manufactured inexpensively on a commercial scale. These polymers are at the core of Nobex proprietary technology that enables the oral dosing of difficult-to-deliver protein, peptide and small molecule drugs. Non-pharmaceutical applications for the polymers will be pursued with partners in those industries.

"Our scientists have been working closely with Nobex to make these pure PEG polymers efficiently, in an effort to help Nobex ultimately create better drug products," said AMRI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas E. D'Ambra, Ph.D. "Together, our scientists have developed a wealth of knowledge about the chemical technologies necessary to make these compounds in larger quantities and higher purities."

"This polymer library will allow Nobex to increase productivity by permitting our chemists to quickly design, synthesize and test several variations of new drugs," stated Christopher H. Price, President and CEO of Nobex. "Nobex currently has several partnered clinical and preclinical product programs that demonstrate the industry need for our polymer-based advanced drug delivery technology. This alliance with Albany Molecular ensures we can scale-up to meet that need."

AMRI is using custom parallel synthesis techniques to produce the library of approximately 500 single- entity, high-purity, low molecular weight polymers in multi-gram quantities. The work is being conducted in combinatorial chemistry laboratories at AMRI's Bothell Research Center near Seattle, WA.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/9043/albany-molecular-research-and-nobex-announce-joint-research-program.html