Recipharm and Swiss biotechnology company CanVirex are collaborating to develop a scalable manufacturing process for an oncolytic measles virus candidate being developed for the treatment of advanced solid tumors.

Under the agreement, Recipharm is supporting the transfer and development of CanVirex’s Vero cell/measles virus manufacturing process. The collaboration represents the next stage in developing CanVirex’s manufacturing platform as the company progresses its oncolytic measles virus program toward clinical development. The work is focused on establishing a robust process that can support the company’s planned clinical development activities and provide a pathway toward future GMP production.

CanVirex’s platform is designed to use engineered measles viruses to both selectively destroy tumor cells and stimulate an immune response within the tumor microenvironment. Its lead candidate expresses interleukin-12 (IL-12) and is being developed for patients with advanced solid tumors, including indications in which existing immunotherapy approaches have shown limited effectiveness.

The manufacturing program follows initial feasibility work conducted by Recipharm. That work evaluated CanVirex’s cell and virus systems in static culture and supported the establishment of development cell and virus banks. The companies have subsequently moved into process development, including technology transfer and optimization of a bioreactor-based production process using microcarrier culture.

For CanVirex, establishing the manufacturing process at this stage is intended to create continuity between development and future clinical supply. The arrangement also provides a potential route from process development into GMP manufacturing without requiring a subsequent transfer to a different manufacturing organization, which could help reduce technology-transfer requirements as the program advances.

Recipharm was selected for the project based on its experience with viral therapeutics and aseptic manufacturing processes involving large viruses that cannot readily undergo conventional filtration. The CDMO is providing development capabilities intended to support the specific manufacturing requirements associated with oncolytic viruses.

“This collaboration reflects Recipharm’s commitment to supporting innovative oncolytic virus developers like CanVirex from process development through to GMP manufacture,” says Greg Behar, CEO of Recipharm. “Our experience with aseptic processing of large, hard-to-filter viruses makes us a trusted partner for CanVirex in advancing this important program for patients with advanced solid tumors.”

The project is being conducted at Recipharm’s facility in Cuxhaven, Germany. The site provides development and manufacturing services for biologics and advanced therapies, including viral vectors, oncolytic viruses and sterile microbial products. Capabilities at the Cuxhaven facility span process development and manufacturing, sterile fill-finish and analytical services. The site also supports seed banking for viruses, cell cultures and bacteria, as well as manufacturing of oncolytic viruses and adeno-associated virus (AAV) products.

For more information about Recipharm, please visit www.recipharm.com or www.recipharm-ab.com.