AGC Biologics Enters into Commercial Manufacturing Agreement with Horizon Pharma plc

AGC Biologics Enters into Commercial Manufacturing Agreement with Horizon Pharma plc

Manufacture of teprotumumab for treatment of thyroid eye disease

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AGC Biologics, a global leader in clinical and commercial manufacturing of therapeutic proteins, announced today it has entered into an agreement with Horizon Pharma plc for commercial supply of teprotumumab, a monoclonal antibody biologic for the treatment of moderate-to-severe active thyroid eye disease (TED).

TED, also known as Graves' opthalmopathy or orbitopathy, is a rare condition in which the eye muscles and fatty tissue behind the eye become inflamed. This can cause proptosis, where the eyes are pushed forward (resulting in "staring" or "bulging" eyes), and the eyes and eyelids become red and swollen. In certain cases, swelling and stiffness of the muscles occur, shifting the eyes so they are no longer in line with each other and/or unable to close.

The teprotumumab antibody works by targeting the Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Receptor (IGF-1R), a well-validated target.

"Thyroid eye disease can be an incapacitating disease, having a significant effect on a patient's daily quality of life," said Gustavo Mahler, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of AGC Biologics. "We're proud to partner with Horizon Pharma in the manufacturing of teprotumumab, a potentially life-changing therapy."

About AGC Biologics
AGC Biologics is a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), with a strong commitment to deliver the highest standard of service to our clients and partners. AGC Biologics is the product of the convergence and integration of Asahi Glass Company (AGC) Bioscience, Biomeva GmbH, and CMC Biologics. The company currently employs more than 850 employees worldwide. Our extensive network spans three continents, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, WA; Berkeley, CA; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Yokohama, Japan; and Chiba, Japan.

AGC Biologics offers deep industry expertise and unique customized services for the scale-up and cGMP manufacture of protein-based therapeutics; from pre-clinical to commercial production, for mammalian and microbial. Our integrated service offerings include cell line development, bioprocess development, formulation, analytical testing, antibody drug development and conjugation, cell banking and storage, and protein expression -- including our proprietary CHEF1(®) Expression System for mammalian production. Further information can be found at www.agcbio.com

AGC Biologics Media Contact Information:
Ms. Kim Yang
Director, Global Marketing and Communications
Email: kyang@agcbio.com
Office: +1 425.415.5438

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SOURCE AGC Biologics