Paras Biopharmaceuticals and Novozymes Set to Collaborate on Osteoporosis Treatment

Paras Biopharmaceuticals, a Finland-based biopharmaceutical manufacturer, will collaborate with Novozymes, a Denmark-based biotechnology company focused on enzyme production, to develop a biobetter osteoporosis treatment, according to a Nov. 24, 2015 announcement.

The companies will collaborate on an improved version of teriparatide, a common treatment for the disease. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, teriparatide is an injectable medication used to treat men and women with osteoporosis. The injection contains a synthetic form of the hormone parathyroid (PTH), and causes the body to build new bone, increasing overall bone strength and density.

In 2013, the FDA issued a warning for Forteo, a brand of teriparatide, saying that it may increase the risk of developing osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, in patients. According to the warning, the injection caused some rats to develop bone cancer. However, osteosarcoma has rarely been reported in humans who use the medication.

Novozyomes and Paras Biophramaceuticals will harness its Veltis technology and Diabrid NobleCleav technology, respectively, to develop a biobetter to teriparatide. The technologies will support the creation of a once-weekly, once bi-weekly, or once-monthly dosing regimen for patients. This technology has already been used to create therapies in the treatment of diabetes, hemophilia, and neutropenia. According to the companies, the biobetter for teriparatide will have an improved therapeutic impact on patients.  

Source: Novozymes