GlaxoSmithKline and Lonza sign manufacturing agreement

GlaxoSmithKline has signed a deal with pharmaceutical industry supplier Lonza, which will see the latter firm assist in manufacturing developmental compounds.

The agreement will involve Lonza supporting GlaxoSmithKline's biopharmaceutical pipeline by manufacturing clinical trial batches of five monoclonal antibodies, which are currently undergoing phase I and II testing.

It will also see Lonza providing the pharma firm with access to flexible manufacturing capacity in order to respond to future demand, should the treatments proceed successfully to the commercialisation stage.

This comes as part of GlaxoSmithKline's wider plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities, with the firm now consulting with Lonza over the potential development of a new facility in the UK.

Ian Tomlinson, head of biopharmaceutical research and development at GlaxoSmithKline, said: "Our goal is to establish a portfolio of biopharmaceutical products that by 2015 consistently exceeds 20 per cent of our research and development pipeline."

Earlier this week, the company commenced a new phase III clinical trial of its ofatumumab/bendamustine combination therapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, in association with Genmab.