Celtic Pharma Holdings is making an initial £5 million (about $8.1 million) investment in Cantab Biopharmaceuticals. The money will support the development of the firm’s first clinical-stage so-called biosuperior biologic in hematology.
Cantab’s aim is to enhance previously marketed, off-patent biologics through the application of cutting-edge advances in protein expression/engineering, process/manufacturing technology, protein conjugation, formulation, and drug delivery.
The company’s strategy is to use its own biopharma process-development and manufacturing expertise along with complementary in-licensed expertise to develop a new generation of biologics that demonstrate improved bioavailability, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Candidates will be developed up to Phase I or Phase II trials, before seeking development and commercialization partners.
Cantab is wholly owned by the Celtic Pharma Holdings II LP (CP2) fund. The new CP2 funding will be spread over three years. While focused on the hematology field, in the longer-term Cantab aims to develop a pipeline of products in other therapeutic areas like infectious diseases.