News

6 Aug 2018
Press Release

ARTES and Minapharm joint forces - offering packet solution for biopharmaceutical processes

ARTES and Minapharm joint forces - offering packet solution for biopharmaceutical processes

Langenfeld, Germany / Cairo, Egypt, August 06, 2018

ARTES Biotechnology GmbH, Germany, and Minapharm Pharmaceuticals and Chemical Industries S.A.E., Egypt, jointly announced today the formation of a new strategic business pact.

Aim of this new strategic business cooperation is to jointly out-license combinations of ARTES’ and Minapharm’s respective proprietary technologies and products to third parties worldwide. Both partners own and control technologies for microbial and mammalian recombinant cell lines, processes and products.  

The already existing and established partnership among the companies bases on a successful, long lasting business relationship. In this, ARTES acts as specialist for microbial cell line and process development for recombinant proteins and Minapharm on the other hand is the major player for production and marketing of bio-pharmaceuticals in the MENA region.  

“With the combination of ARTES’ and Minapharm’s business intelligence and service solutions future clients will benefit from our latest, innovative developments ”, Dr. Michael Piontek, Managing director of ARTES stated, “and will get robust, proven manufacturing experience and product registration.” Proven safety and efficacy of products will team up with high yield and low cost manufacturing technology.

“The established alliance with ARTES continuously confirms Minapharm’s position as a regional biotech leader. Our emergence as such contributes to a radical shift in both innovation and affordability of biopharmaceuticals as a function of time. We have been able to demonstrate the viability of our strategy to offer patients in the developing world with a timely benefit of novel therapeutic proteins. Our biopharmaceutical pipeline portfolio reflects great potential to expand our strategy and offers solutions for the management of medical emergencies. We are glad that ARTES is sharing our vision” said Frank Mueller, Senior Manager Biopharmaceutical Projects of MINAPHARM.  

For more information regarding availability of cell lines and process technology, please see contact below.

About ARTES Biotechnology GmbH: ARTES Biotechnology is a pharmaceutical contract research & development organization that provides cell line and process development for and manufacturing of bio-pharmaceutical products. The company is a well-established partner for many of the biggest names in the industry, with more than 20 years of business experience, a track record of products developed for and marketed by clients as well as safe, reliable and highly competitive microbial production platforms. ARTES specializes in recombinant protein production, process and vaccine development from microbial expression systems, marketing the unique METAVAX® (dHepB-VLP) technology in combination with yeast expression. ARTES operates worldwide from its 850m2 S1 facilities in Langenfeld, from where it also offers cell line engineering based on yeast (Hansenula polymorpha, syn. Pichia angusta; Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and bacterial (E. coli) expression platforms, lab scale up- and downstream process development, supply of non-GMP bulk material (API) for activity and toxicity tests and technology transfer to cGMP facilities and scale-up support.    

About Minapharm Pharmaceuticals and Chemical Industries S.A.E.   Minapharm, headquartered in Cairo with its production facilities in the 10th of Ramadan, is among the leading prescription medicine companies in Egypt and the Middle East. The company is specialized in the manufacture and marketing of innovative pharmaceuticals and through its subsidiary Rhein-Minapharm-Biogenetics and Probiogen in the research, development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals and biosimilars. Its biotech subsidiary is focussing on the core therapeutic areas of liver disease and thrombosis & haemostasis. With 8 therapeutic proteins already marketed and several in the pipeline, Minapharm’s competence lies in decreasing time to market without compromising ethical and safety standards. Currently Minapharm is building up an additional new manufacturing facility for up to 11 m3 mammalian cell culture  focussing on disposable concepts and fermentation capacity and up 3 m3 microbial fermentation capacity in stainless steel according to EMA-GMP standards. By combining its expertise in pharmaceuticals and leadership in biopharmaceuticals, Minapharm, along with its worldwide strategic alliances, contributes significantly to the quality of life of many people in the region. Minapharm employs a collective workforce of over 1000 and is listed on the Cairo and Alexandria stock exchange (Symbol: MIPH). For more information on Minapharm and its products please visit www.minapharm.com and www.rhein-minapharm.com. In June 2010 Minapharm acquired the German company Probiogen AG located in Berlin.    


Media Contact

Dr. Melanie Piontek
Business Development Director
ARTES Biotechnology GmbH
Tel:+49 (0)217 327 587 12  

Frank Müller
Senior Manager Biopharmaceutical Projects
Minapharm Pharmaceuticals and Chemical Industries S.A.E.
Tel:+201227997140