Bionomics and SAFC Pharma Sign Contract to Manufacture BNC105

Bionomics Limited and SAFC Pharma, the custom manufacturing group within Sigma-Aldrich Corporation have announced that they have signed a manufacturing contract to produce one and a half kilograms of BNC105, Bionomics’ lead cancer compound.

This material will be used to complete pre-clinical trials and for Phase I/IIa clinical trials of BNC105.

"This contract represents the attainment of a significant milestone for Bionomics as it supports our goal to begin Phase I clinical trials of BNC105."

"SAFC Pharma has an excellent track record in the GMP manufacture of drug candidates for use in FDA approved clinical trials and we are very pleased to be working with them," said Dr Deborah Rathjen, Bionomics’ CEO.

SAFC President, Frank Wicks, added, "We are delighted to be selected as Bionomics partner of choice for the production of this initial 1.5 kg batch of BNC105."

"The agreement reflects our ability and reputation in cGMP chemistry scale up enabling our customers to take their products into clinical trials quickly and efficiently."

"The GMP manufacture of BNC105 will be assisted by virtue of the fact that it has been discovered using our MultiCore^® synthesis technology that gives concise, efficient synthetic access to drug candidates in a manner that is applicable to scale-up and GMP manufacture," stated Dr Bernard Flynn, VP Chemistry Bionomics.

"This is a feature that is too often overlooked in drug discovery, leading to expensive delays in the subsequent development of drug candidates for clinical trials."

BNC105 is a new type of drug called a Vascular Disruption Agent (VDA) that acts to rapidly shut down the blood supply within a tumour. It thereby "starves" the tumour of the oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive.