ProMetic Announces Operational Launch of its Plasma Purification Facility
December 11 2013 - 7:00AM
Marketwired
ProMetic Announces Operational Launch of its Plasma Purification
Facility
- First production run at commercial scale performed
- Critical step leading to manufacturing of orphan drugs
completed
LAVAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Dec 11, 2013) - ProMetic Life
Sciences Inc. (TSX:PLI)(OTCQX:PFSCF), ("ProMetic" or the
"Corporation") is proud to announce that it has achieved a major
corporate milestone, by successfully completing the first
commercial-scale production run at its ProMetic BioProduction Inc.
("PBP") plasma purification facility located in Laval, Quebec. This
production run was completed on schedule and generated better than
expected results.
The installation of specialized process equipment is now
completed. A seasoned team of experts has been hired and are
currently performing a series of trial production batches. During
the first quarter of 2014, the PBP team will be focused on
performing the necessary manufacturing activities to enable the
upcoming filing of previously disclosed INDs.
"The much anticipated operational launch of our plasma
purification facility is a pivotal point in the history of
ProMetic. This milestone is of crucial importance to the
achievement of our ambitious corporate goals", mentioned Mr. Pierre
Laurin, President and Chief Executive Officer of ProMetic Life
Sciences. "We are now one critical, but major, step closer to
providing patients living with serious, unmet medical needs, with
the necessary orphan drugs that will finally improve their quality
of life", added Mr. Laurin.
"We are delighted that our facility has performed as planned
during this first test of its capability. Our state-of-the art
plasma purification facility was designed to meet and exceed the
most stringent industry standards right from the beginning", stated
Gordon Harris, Director of Manufacturing at ProMetic BioProduction
Inc. "We are grateful to all our employees and partners for their
hard work and dedication over the planning and preparation phases
and look forward to achieving additional production milestones in
the near future", added Mr. Harris.
Tom Chen, Senior Vice-President Product and Asia Pacific
Development commented: "Sartorius and Proxcys delivered key process
equipment on time and provided valuable technical support to
achieve such milestone. Our facility will not only manufacture
plasma-derived biopharmaceuticals but will also become a showroom
and training platform for other licensees worldwide. Our
achievement bodes well for future technical support to enable the
start-up of other PPPS™ facilities".
Photos:
Photos of the equipment and production run in process are
available at: http://www.prometic.com/en/index.php
About ProMetic's plasma protein purification system
("PPPS™")
The Plasma Protein Purification System (PPPS™) allows for the
targeting and removal of multiple high-value proteins from a single
plasma sample at unprecedented activity levels using ProMetic's
Mimetic Ligand™ adsorbent technology. This system also provides for
the recovery of new biotherapeutics as they are discovered and
identified. The effect of this process is to reduce the significant
losses incurred when using the more conventional Cohn precipitation
process.
About ProMetic Life Sciences Inc.
ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. (www.prometic.com) is a long
established biopharmaceutical company with globally recognized
expertise in bioseparations, plasma-derived therapeutics and
small-molecule drug development. ProMetic offers its state of the
art technologies for large-scale purification of biologics, drug
development, proteomics and the elimination of pathogens to a
growing base of industry leaders and uses its own affinity
technology that provides for highly efficient extraction and
purification of therapeutic proteins from human plasma in order to
develop best-in-class therapeutics and orphan drugs. ProMetic is
also active in developing its own novel small-molecule therapeutic
products targeting unmet medical needs in the field of fibrosis,
cancer and autoimmune diseases/inflammation. Headquartered in Laval
(Canada), ProMetic has R&D facilities in the UK, the U.S. and
Canada, manufacturing facilities in the UK and business development
activities in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about
ProMetic's objectives, strategies and businesses that involve risks
and uncertainties. These statements are "forward-looking" because
they are based on our current expectations about the markets we
operate in and on various estimates and assumptions. Actual events
or results may differ materially from those anticipated in these
forward-looking statements if known or unknown risks affect our
business, or if our estimates or assumptions turn out to be
inaccurate. Such risks and assumptions include, but are not limited
to, ProMetic's ability to develop, manufacture, and successfully
commercialize value-added pharmaceutical products, the availability
of funds and resources to pursue R&D projects, the successful
and timely completion of clinical studies, the ability of ProMetic
to take advantage of business opportunities in the pharmaceutical
industry, uncertainties related to the regulatory process and
general changes in economic conditions. You will find a more
detailed assessment of the risks that could cause actual events or
results to materially differ from our current expectations on page
26 of ProMetic's Annual Information Form for the year ended
December 31, 2012, under the heading "Risk and Uncertainties
related to ProMetic's business". . As a result, we cannot guarantee
that any forward-looking statement will materialize. We assume no
obligation to update any forward-looking statement even if new
information becomes available, as a result of future events or for
any other reason, unless required by applicable securities laws and
regulations. All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless indicated
otherwise.
Pierre LaurinPresident and CEOProMetic Life Sciences
Inc.p.laurin@prometic.com+1.450.781.0115Frederic DumaisDirector,
Communications andInvestor RelationsProMetic Life Sciences
Inc.f.dumais@prometic.com+1.450.781.0115