EKF Diagnostics to manufacture for Oragenics

Point-of-care business EKF Diagnostics Holdings has signed an exclusive agreement with Florida-based biopharmaceutical company Oragenics, it announced on Thursday, for the manufacturing of Oragenics' lantibiotic bulk drug substances in the United States.

The AIM-traded firm said Oragenics was developing a pipeline of novel therapeutics to address the rise in drug-resistant infectious diseases, as well as oral mucositis.

Under the collaboration agreement, EKF Diagnostics would manufacture compounds intended for preclinical and early-stage clinical trials.

Manufacturing would be completed at EKF's Elkhart enzyme production facility in Indiana.

Its board estimated that the partnership would generate “multi-million dollars” in revenues to EKF Diagnostics over the duration of the manufacturing agreement.

“We are delighted to partner with Oragenics in the development of lantibiotics,” said EKF chief executive officer Julian Baines.

“EKF has invested heavily in the Elkhart facility and we are now in a position to attract high quality pharmaceutical partners such as Oragenics.”

Dr Alan Joslyn, CEO and president of Oragenics, added that his company was “excited” to partner with EKF Diagnostics for the manufacturing of its novel lantibiotics in the United States.

“We believe this agreement will enable Oragenics to continue development of our early stage lantibiotic programs, which potentially will be able to address multi-drug resistant infections such as C. difficile.”