June 06, 2011 -- GH Genhelix S.A. (GHL), a privately held company based in Leon, Spain, is pleased to announce a strategic relationship with Tokyo based Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC). TTC will represent GHL exclusively in Japan in promoting its biosimilar products and contract research, development and manufacturing services for biopharmaceutical products.
“With the expanding development of biological drugs, we are happy to appoint TTC as our exclusive partner in Japan to help us expand our Japanese customer base. As TTC’s plan looks to expand its revenue related to the biotechnological market, we are poised to collaborate with TTC to help it grow in the life sciences and healthcare business both at a Japanese and a global level.” stated Mr. David Marcos Martinez, CEO of GHL.
“The collaboration with GHL will enable TTC to extensively promote its biopharmaceutical business in Japan and provide more customer oriented business to leading Japanese pharmaceutical companies through its domestic network which TTC has well established so far”, stated Mr. Mitsuhiro Tsubakimoto, General Manager of Fine Chemicals Department of TTC.
GHL was incorporated in 2006 in Leon and is the biggest monoclonal antibody manufacturer in Spain. Its facility includes an R+D center (bench and pilot stages) for process development and scaling up; a fully flexible GMP facility, up to 6 x 2000 L of fermentation capacity (single use) or 500 - 750 Kg per year of purified protein; a training center and a foundation.
GHL is devoted to the improvement of its in-house programs of biosimilars of the top-selling biomolecules currently on market. Other main activities include process development and production of biological molecules for third parties with an extensive use of single-use components and dedicated equipment.
The extensive use of disposable components and ready to use equipment drastically reduces the risk of cross-contamination and shortens the change over time required while keeping the fixed costs clearly lower than a traditional facility.
GHL’s staff has a long tradition in protein production at both managerial and technical levels in companies such as Genentech, Lonza or GSK.
Genhelix aims at further expanding its position in the biologics manufacturing market and the biosimilar development sector by applying the highest standards of quality and using the most advanced technology available.
The European company has defined the development of biosimilar compounds as one of the fields with best growth perspectives over the next decade because of the increasing importance of price-competitive biological therapies. The cost of a Monoclonal Antibody - based therapy is so high that it is out of reach of many patients. GHL is expecting its pipeline to considerably reduce the costs of such therapies in order to make them available to the broadest range of patients.
GHL believes that its pipeline of biosimilar molecules can play a significant role in the international landscape as the projects keep their development aimed at arriving to the market by the time the corresponding patents expire.
The alliance with TTC is an important milestone for a company which has shown its commitment to Japan since the opening of its first branch outside of Spain in 2008 in Tokyo.
About TTC
TTC was established in 1948. TTC grew steadily with the automotive business as its main axis. Tomen also developed a wide range of business and customers in non-automotive field. The two companies merged on April 1, 2006, and started as the newborn TTC. The newborn TTC group, using its know-how of the global network and as one of the leading trading companies group that is actively involved in also manufacturing, aims to be a new trading group that offers flexible ideas and attractive proposals.
