Hovione, a global API and drug product intermediate development and compliant manufacturer,  has signed a co-promotion and collaboration agreement with Ligand to provide Hovione’s customers efficient access to Captisol technology. Captisol, a chemically modified cyclodextrin, is proven to improve the solubility and stability of drugs and is currently used in six marketed products.

Hovione offers innovative particle engineering technologies to improve the solubility of modern drugs.

The agreement allows Hovione to use Captisol technology in its solubilization programmes, which include amorphous solid dispersions, crystal design and size reduction and control of particle size. By adding this new technology, it increases the likelihood of solving the molecule’s bioavailability challenges.

“Hovione is delighted to announce the ability to provide access to Captisol. There is no single solution to improving bioavailability and for a customer to access diverse options with a single supplier provides for greater probability of success and speedier outcomes,” said Dr Colin Minchom, Hovione’s vice president of Particle Design.

Mathew W Foehr, Ligand’s executive vice president and chief operating officer added, “Hovione has manufactured Captisol for more than a decade, and we are very pleased to expand our partnership to help customers succeed. Providing for greater access to Captisol should efficiently enable the successful development of more poorly soluble molecules and further increase our Captisol partnership portfolio.”

Captisol is a patent-protected, chemically modified cyclodextrin with a structure designed to optimize the solubility and stability of drugs. Captisol was invented and initially developed by scientists at the University of Kansas' Higuchi Biosciences Centre for specific use in drug development and formulation. This unique technology has enabled six FDA-approved products, including Onyx Pharmaceuticals’ Kyprolis, Baxter International's Nexterone and Pfizer's Vfend IV. There are currently more than 30 Captisol-enabled products in development, including Lundbeck’s carbamazepine IV, The Medicines Company's MDCO-157 and Rib-X's delafloxacin IV programme.

Hovione is focussed on the most demanding customers in the most regulated markets. Hovione offers integrated API, particle design,formulation development and GMP manufacturing.

Ligand is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and acquires assets it believes will generate royalty revenues and, under its lean corporate cost structure, produce sustainable profitability.