Dive Brief:
- Pharma giant Amgen and Durham, North Carolina-based CMO Patheon have signed a "flexible manufacturing agreement," aimed at helping Amgen meet demand for its human therapeutics.
- While Amgen emphasized its own manufacturing capacity remains a "competitive advantage," Rayne Waller, VP of global supply chains at Amgen, indicated the deal would give Amgen greater supply flexibility.
- Patheon is a large CMO, employing 8,700 people worldwide across 29 facilities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, according to its website.
Dive Insight:
Patheon emphasized its model differs from the industry standard, focusing on collaboration rather than "price per batch." The company has previously worked with Boehringer Ingelheim, signing a 3 year deal with the German drugmaker for $18 million in 2011.
"“We believe the departure from the “build or buy” paradigm represents a superior value for our clients,” said Michael Lehmann, head of global sales and marketing at Patheon.
Recently, Patheon has acquired a number of companies, including IRIX Pharmaceuticals and Agere Pharmaceuticals in 2015. It specializes in API manufacturing.
In the announcement, Amgen said the deal would supplement its own existing manufacturing network. “As we launch new products and expand into more countries, it is critical to have the capacity to respond to increases in demand for our medicines,” Waller said.