Sterling Pharma Signs Agreement to Support COVID-19 Treatment Development

Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), Sterling Pharma Solutions, has signed a deal with clinical stage pharmaceutical company, Moleculin Biotech, to support the development of WP1122, a potential COVID-19 treatment.

According to a July 27, 2020 press release, Moleculin’s WP1122 is being readied by the company for submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an Investigational New Drug (IND). Under the terms of the agreement, Sterling will take on the final purification of the product at its site in Cary, NC, and will also help to ensure a reliable supply of the drug for preclinical studies and anticipated clinical trials.

“In light of the added complexity surrounding drug production during the current COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to make sure we had a reliable source of drug supply located here in the US,” said Walter Klemp, chairman and CEO of Moleculin, in the press release. “We are expanding our planned preclinical studies for the IND, so our contract with Sterling Pharma Solutions helps us cover this increased demand in combination with our expected use in clinical trials.”

“It’s a privilege to support companies at such a pivotal time for the pharma sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the importance of innovative companies like Moleculin in the search for potential therapies,” added Mat Minardi, president of US Operations at Sterling Pharma Solutions, in the press release. “Our experience and expertise with carbohydrate chemistry, flexibility, and ability to respond quickly and scale to Moleculin’s needs are key to this project and we look forward to collaborating with their team over the coming years.”

Source: Sterling Pharma Solutions