Cancer Research UK is using Onyx Scientific to manage several of its drug development projects in a bid to maximise value for the UK’s leading cancer charity.

The UK-based contract research organisation is now supporting the charity across a portfolio of drug substance campaigns covering the development and manufacturing of API for use in clinical trials.

Across the range of projects, Cancer Research UK’s Drug Development Office is utilising the contract manufacturing organisation’s (CMO) expertise in: process development, solid-state chemistry, analytical and GMP synthesis of API for use in Phase I clinical trials.

Cancer Research UK’s Drug Development Office initially selected the chemistry specialist for a GMP synthesis project in 2011. There have been further successful GMP campaigns since that first project. Onyx Scientific is one of the Charity’s preferred providers for API development and GMP synthesis, which has resulted in a greater volume of work being placed with Onyx because of the quality of their work, GMP compliance, excellent communication and ‘can do’ attitude.

Dr Nigel Westwood, drug supply manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Over the last few years, the team at Onyx Scientific has worked proactively with us on several challenging synthetic chemistry projects and provided exceptional value for money, which has led to us to select them for several new projects based on their competitive costs and ability to delivery on time.

“Having sufficient quantities of API available in a timely manner is critical for our drug development activities.  Onyx Scientific is a reliable partner that can meet deadlines and deal with complex chemistry in a cost effective manner.

“It therefore makes total sense for our organisation to work even more closely with Onyx Scientific as a partner to assist with the process development, solid-state characterisation and GMP manufacture of API across several compounds,” added Dr Westwood.

With MHRA and FDA inspected facilities in the UK and India, IPCA Laboratories owned Onyx Scientific assists companies with medicinal chemistry and preclinical development through Phase I-III, scaling-up to large scale API production.

The CMO’s UK-based laboratories deal with challenging chemistry to deliver early stage programs and is then able to scale-up, tech transfer and increase project efficiency using its parent company’s commercial manufacturing sites in India.

Denise Bowser, commercial director at Onyx Scientific, said: “Our team has developed an excellent partnership with Cancer Research UK and so we are naturally delighted to be working with them on such a raft of important projects.

“It is very pleasing that our track-record and reputation in solid state chemistry and GMP API manufacturing continues to grow. This has led to us to work with several of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world alongside many smaller drug developers and charitable bodies.”

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