Berlin, 19 June 2017 - Menarini has strengthened its commitment to oncological research with new investments in Tuscany and abroad.  Euro for their site in Pisa and 1 million Euro for Berlin are the amounts that will be invested in the company’s respective affiliates. 

Tuscany, the region where Menarini established its Florence headquarters in 1915, will be the first to see the fruits of these new investments in the pharmaceutical sector.

Menarini has been committed to growing its portfolio of oncological projects for several years now. To anticipate the increasing needs of such projects, Menarini has recently made important investments to expand its manufacturing capabilities for oncological drugs by setting up new, dedicated facilities in Pisa (€2 million investment) and Berlin (€1 million investment).

In Pisa, advanced facilities (about 250 m²) have been built for the production of clinical batches of highly potent antitumoral compounds. The new facility will  manufacture both small molecules and biological macromolecules such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), obtained through the conjugation of monoclonal antibodies to potent toxins. These new laboratories have been built in compliance with the highest standards of containment for the safety of workers and the environment, and are equipped with last generation reactors, ultrafiltration systems and chromatographic apparatuses. The new facilities will manufacture clinical batches of MEN1309/OBT076. This ADC, which is part of the partnership agreement between Menarini and Oxford Bio Therapeutics (OBT), is being developed for the treatment of solid and hematological tumors.

In the research centre for pharmaceutical development in Berlin, a dedicated building (ca. 230 m²) has been built for packaging, labeling, storage and distribution of clinical trial supplies (CTS) of anti-tumoral compounds, including ADCs. This new facility meets the highest safety standards, is equipped with state of the art systems, and has already received the authorization from the German authority. In the forthcoming months this facility will manufacture and store the CTS for the ADC MEN 1309/OBT076, which will be distributed to clinical trial centers for a first trial on  humans. 

These new achievements are part of the strong commitment of Menarini to oncology with innovative, scientifically advanced and innovative investigational compounds, fully supported by manufacturing capabilities of the highest technological level.