Catalent to Expand Zydis Production for ALK-Abello Products

Catalent Pharma Solutions, Inc. and ALK-Abello A/S have signed an agreement that will expand Zydis production capacity dedicated to ALK-Abello’s immunotherapy products. Under the agreement, ALK-Abello will fund a new production line for current and future tablet-based allergy products, which will be based at Catalent’s Swindon, UK facility. Commercial production on the new line is expected to begin in 2010.

ALK-Abello has launched Grazax, a tablet-based vaccine against grass pollen allergy, using Catalent’s Zydis oral dissolving tablet technology, and Catalent is currently producing the Zydis formulation of Grazax in the Swindon facility.

“We are pleased to have reached this next important step in our relationship with ALK-Abello, which began more than four years ago,” commented Thomas Stuart, group president of oral technologies for Catalent. “The clinical success of Grazax demonstrates that protein-based products such as allergens can be taken orally by patients rather than via injection, and we believe Zydis provides unique advantages to deliver these and other types of novel compounds. We look forward to supporting the further success of Grazax and additional ALK-Abello immunotherapy products.”

“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Catalent to provide important new production capacity, which we believe will be required to meet the expected future demand for our tablet-based allergy vaccines,” said Jens Bager, president and chief executive officer of ALK-Abello. “We appreciate the consistent performance and dedication of the Catalent team in Swindon, and the valuable contribution the team and the Zydis technology is making to our product.”