Intrexon and Arch Pharmalabs Collaborate on Fermentative Production of an API to Replace Existing Process Sourced from Animals

BUDAPEST, Hungary, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), a leader in the engineering and industrialization of biology to improve the quality of life and health of the planet, and Arch Pharmalabs Ltd., a world-class provider of small molecule process chemistry and full life-cycle active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), today announced they have entered into an exclusive collaboration to develop microbial strains for fermentation-based production of an API currently sourced from animals. 

Through the collaboration, Intrexon will be responsible for creative design of microbial pathways and engineering optimized microbes in a fermentation process that will generate a high yield and quality API at a substantially lower cost compared to current methods.  Identification, design and engineering of the pathway and enzymes required will be accelerated through Intrexon's PathX™ proprietary bioinformatics software for pathway generation. Following this foundational work, Arch will focus on product isolation, scale-up and manufacturing and commercialization of the API.

"As a leading generics API company with extensive chemical scale-up and production capabilities including fermentation, Arch Pharmalabs is an ideal partner for this program. Their expertise and manufacturing capacity combined with Intrexon's PathX^™ and strain engineering capabilities should enable us to achieve unparalleled efficiencies in the production of high-value APIs, with a focus on those that have never been made through microbial fermentation," stated Peter Seufer-Wasserthal, Ph.D., Intrexon's Vice President of Business Development for Europe and Asia.

"Arch has consistently been at the forefront of aligning with companies that provide ground-breaking technologies and bring about a paradigm shift in the way APIs are traditionally manufactured. The alliance with Intrexon, with access to their PathX^™ platform, complemented with Arch's manufacturing capabilities will be disruptive by way of innovative processes and cost dynamics. We are excited about the immense possibilities that this partnership can offer," commented Ajit Kamath, Chairman & Managing Director of Arch Pharmalabs.

Microbial production of APIs currently isolated from plant or animal sources enables better consistency and avoids the resource-intensive isolation that may lead to quality and quantity variability in end products. Intrexon has already demonstrated proof-of-concept for direct fermentative production of the collaboration's target API, from which the companies plan to develop a superior manufacturing process at commercial scale.  

Under the terms of the agreement, Arch Pharmalabs will have exclusive access to Intrexon's technologies for fermentation-based production of the specific API that currently has estimated sales of $175 million worldwide.  Intrexon will receive a technology access fee, milestone payments, as well as a 40% royalty based on gross profit of commercialized products. 

About Intrexon Corporation
Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) is Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA^™ to create biologically-based products that improve the quality of life and the health of the planet. The Company's integrated technology suite provides its partners across diverse markets with industrial-scale design and development of complex biological systems delivering unprecedented control, quality, function, and performance of living cells.  We call our synthetic biology approach Better DNA^®, and we invite you to discover more at www.dna.com or follow us on Twitter at @Intrexon, on Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About Arch Pharmalabs
Arch Pharmalabs Ltd., headquartered in Mumbai is one of the largest standalone API and Intermediate manufacturers in India with cGMP compliant facilities offering a bouquet of products across several key therapeutic areas with supplies to major multinational pharmaceutical companies globally. It is committed to Green Chemistry with path breaking innovative technology from various technology partners from EU and US and is one of the few pharma companies in the world to commercially scale up biocatalysts for multiple products.

Trademarks
Intrexon, PathX, Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA, and Better DNA are trademarks of Intrexon and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Safe Harbor Statement
Some of the statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements.  These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and projections about future events and generally relate to our plans, objectives and expectations for the development of our business.  Although management believes that the plans and objectives reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual future results may be materially different from the plans, objectives and expectations expressed in this press release.

For more information regarding Intrexon Corporation, contact:

For more information regarding Arch Pharmalabs, contact:

SOURCE Intrexon Corporation

Related Links

http://www.dna.com