Cephalon Inc. announced Thursday that it will purchase for $14million the manufacturing facilities and related technology ofcontract manufacturer Bio Science Contract Production Corp. ofBeltsville, Md.

"The acquisition of this facility provides Cephalon with amanufacturing operation in the United States," said FrankBaldino Jr., the West Chester, Pa., company's president andchief executive officer. "This facility has broad utility for theproduction of recombinant products, such as Myotrophin, forthe treatment of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and peripheralneuropathy."

Cephalon (NASDAQ:CEPH) reported Phase I clinical safety dataon Myotrophin (recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1) last month. When administered daily by subcutaneousinjection to 48 healthy volunteers, it produced no significantside effects and was well-tolerated.

The facility for manufacturing recombinant proteins isapproximately 20,000 square feet. Cephalon will use the 1,500-liter fermentor to make Myotrophin. "It will easily cover all the(product) requirements for clinical trials and early-stagecommercialization," Nicole Vitullo, Cephalon's director ofcorporate communications, told BioWorld. Moreover, "thefacility is easily expandable" to make more product," Vitullosaid.

-- Jennifer Van Brunt Senior Editor

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.