Intertek to offer advanced Protein Characterisation Services for new drug development through collaboration with NIBRT
23 Jun 2011
Leading global protein glycosylation expertise to complement Intertek's biopharmaceutical analysis solutions.
Intertek Group Plc (Intertek), a leading international provider of analytical laboratory services to the biopharmaceutical industry has announced an exclusive collaboration with the National Institute of Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), Dublin, Ireland. NIBRT is one of Europe’s foremost centres of excellence for the study of protein glycosylation under the leadership of Professor Pauline Rudd, a principal international authority in this area.
Understanding protein glycosylation, glycan linkage and composition is important throughout the development of a biopharmaceutical as it can potentially affect bioactivity, safety and efficacy of the final product. There is expected to be increased development in the area of glycoprotein medicines, in particular monoclonal antibodies. These are extremely specific antibodies which bind to one unique specific biological target. This specificity makes them very effective drugs and they are forecasted to give rise to promising medicines for cancer, neurological diseases and other important areas.
The collaboration advances Intertek’s existing suite of characterisation services for recombinant proteins, biosimilars and monoclonal antibodies. These services, available as regulatory work packages, include strategic structural characterisation, physico-chemical property determination according to ICH Q6B Guidelines, comparability studies and more.
Andrew Swift, EVP of Intertek's Chemical & Pharmaceutical services said “Our collaboration with NIBRT increases the depth of characterisation support services to the biopharma industry and creates an unparalleled virtual team who can deliver advanced analytical support to our clients.”
Intertek Biotechnology Team Leader, Ashleigh Wake added “NIBRT’s expertise in glycan characterisation complements our existing glycoprotein analysis capabilities and will enable us to provide comprehensive analytics for monoclonal antibody therapeutics in particular.”
Professor Pauline Rudd added “We have recently brought together our suite of Glycoanalytical technologies in the new purpose built NIBRT facility. Glycosylation analysis remains a major challenge, especially in the production of biologicals and we are delighted to support the pharmaceutical communities by launching this new enterprise with Intertek. NIBRT is at the cutting edge of the field. We approach the complexity of glycosylation analysis using orthogonal technologies, including state of the art quantitative, UHPLC separations coupled with specific exoglycosidase digestions, CE and mass spectrometry.“
For further information regarding Intertek's protein characterisation services:
Contacts:
Lorna Kettle, Business Development Strategy Manager
Intertek Pharmaceutical Services
Tel: +44 (0) 161 721 1476
lorna.kettle@intertek.com
Killian O’Driscoll, NIBRT Director of Projects
Tel: + 353 1 215 8100
NIBRT, Foster’s Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co.Dublin.
About Intertek
Intertek Group Plc (FTSE: ITRK) is a leading international provider of quality and safety services to a wide range of global and local industries. Intertek help to ensure that client’s products and processes meet industry standards and consumer expectations for safety and quality in virtually any market. Intertek Pharmaceutical Services provide GxP analytical and bioanalytical services supporting the critical stages of R&D, authorization and manufacturing for pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals. Our services cover every aspect of product development, operational and manufacturing process, marketing, supply chain management, safety, quality and sustainability.
About NIBRT
NIBRT is a world-class institute that provides training and research solutions for the bioprocessing industry. Our mission is to support the bioprocessing industry by providing a unique learning experience for trainees in an environment that replicates the most modern industrial bioprocessing facility. In parallel, we also undertake leading edge research in key areas of bioprocessing in collaboration with industry.