Biofusion plc (AIM: BFN), the university IP commercialisation company that turns world class research into business, is today pleased to note that Phoqus Group plc (“Phoqus”), the oral drug delivery and development company that is working in collaboration with Biofusion’s subsidiary company Diurnal Limited (“Diurnal”), the Sheffield-based drug development company, has today announced that it has appointed Patheon UK Limited ("Patheon"), a Contract Manufacturing Organisation ("CMO"), to undertake part of the manufacturing process to produce tablets of Chronocort™ for the Phase III clinical trials expected to commence during the first quarter of 2008 for both Adrenal Insufficiency ("AI") and Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia ("CAH"), subject to regulatory approval.
In addition, Phoqus has started the process of identifying and selecting a CMO partner for the future commercial manufacture of Chronocort™. Phoqus expects that Chronocort™ could be available for launch in the CAH indication during the fourth quarter of 2009
Phoqus' CEO, Dr. Richard Mason, commented: "We are delighted to be working with Patheon, a leading global pharmaceutical contract manufacturing organisation, who we selected through a competitive process. The use of such high quality suppliers is part of Phoqus’ plan to optimise manufacturing operations as part of our overall strategy to maximise the value of our lead programme Chronocort."