Portuguese pharma company, BIAL, and global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), Recipharm, have expanded a long-term agreement for the global manufacturing and supply of BIAL’s proprietary molecule opicapone.

The API being manufactured at Recipharm’s facility in Cramlington, UK is used to formulate BIAL’s Ongentys product, an adjunctive therapy used to treat patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The expansion of the agreement with BIAL follows the successful market authorisation application for Japan in June with the product officially launching to the Japanese market on August 26, 2020.

Bernard Pluta, President, Development Services at Recipharm, commented: ”We have worked for several years with process development and scale up to commercial scale of the manufacturing of opicapone. The approval in Japan marks a significant milestone for this important product for patients suffering Parkinson’s disease and we look forward to continue to work together with BIAL to supply opicapone to Japan and elsewhere.”

The new agreement provides both companies with a long-term partnership that will ensure continued supply for patients across the globe. Opicapone (Ongentys) is approved in Europe, USA, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and Japan.