Avantium Pharma extends service range by participation in the Drug Development Cluster

February 10, 2011 - Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Avantium Pharma announced today its participation in the Drug Development Cluster to extend its service offering in solid state research. Traditional models of outsourced drug development encompass two models: the one-stop shop, and the group of independent CROs. Neither is ideal. However, there is now an optimal third-way, which is translated in the Drug Development Cluster.

The benefits of working with the Drug Development Cluster:

A single entry point to a set of independent expert service providers
Centralized project management and aligned operations
One CDA, one quote, one contact, one report
Reduction of R&D cost by reduction of overlapping activities
Shorten development timelines by working in parallel
Centralized access to a network of specialty technologies and services

There are five partners that participate in the Drug Development Cluster: Avantium Pharma, Cambridge Major Labortories, Notox, Mercachem and SEPS Pharma. Avantium Pharma is a leading service provider to the pharmaceutical industry and is specialized in the optimization of the physical form of active pharmaceutical ingredients, including salts, polymorphs and amorphous and co-crystals. Together with its four partners, Avantium Pharma it is now able, next to its already established solid state expertise, to offer expert services ranging from discovery services to IND/IMPD, including but not limited to API chemistry and development, API manufacturing, formulation development, and GMP manufacturing.

The Drug Development Cluster is an outsourcing model that incorporates the better of two worlds: a set of expert services provided by a team of independent companies while maintaining speed, flexibility and optimal project management. End-to-end project visibility through the cluster and across the companies ensures that your project is always kept on track, optimizing the use of time and money....and minimizing risk. Plan for success....quicker to milestone translates to quicker to market!

We are your virtual development team. We work together, closely managing activities with a shared objective. Rest easy in the knowledge that we understand that your project is not a compilation of independent deliverables: we all focus on the milestone, whether pre-clinical or submission. The Drug Development Cluster provides support to Biotech companies and for mature Pharma wishing to outsource projects involving a broad set of services.

About Drug Development Cluster
The Drug Development Cluster is based on collaboration between 5 partners: Avantium Pharma, Cambridge Major Labortories, Notox, Mercachem and SEPS Pharma. The Cluster offers a novel integrated set of drug development services to support small molecule pre-clinical R&D, all delivered in seamless fashion from a group of industry-leading CROs. From discovery services to IND/IMPD, the members of the cluster have built an excellent track record within pharmaceutical development over the last 10-15 years.

About Avantium
Avantium is a leading technology company in the area of advanced high-throughput R&D operating in the energy, chemicals and pharmaceutical industries. The company develops products and processes in the area of biofuels, bio-based chemicals and novel crystal forms of existing drugs by applying its proprietary, high-throughput R&D technology.

Avantium has demonstrated the potential of this technology by providing R&D services and tools to more than 70 companies worldwide. Avantium's customer base includes many of the world's largest energy, chemicals and pharmaceutical companies, such as BP, Shell, Sasol, Pfizer and GSK. Avantium has more than 100 employees; its offices and head quarters are based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

For more information
Please contact Michel de Baar at +31 20 586 0184 or visit the websites www.avantium.com/pharma and www.drugdevelopmentcluster.com