Firms target 100 kilos per batch.
Pro-Pharmaceuticals is collaborating with Chemwerth to scale up production of its lead drug candidate, Davanat®, to 100 kilograms for initial marketing needs.
Davant is a carbohydrate polymer composed of mannose and galactose (galactomannan). Pro-Pharmaceuticals believes that its mechanism of action is based upon binding to lectins on the cell surface. It thus theorizes that the product targets specific lectin receptors that are over-expressed on cancer cells.
Current research indicates that Galectins affect cell development and play important roles in cancer, including tumor cell survival, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis, according to a Pro-Pharmaceuticals. The company hence believes that this form of targeted delivery may allow for higher doses of chemotherapy administration with no increase in toxicity.
