SK pharmteco Announces A Strategic Collaboration With Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator For The Development And Manufacturing Of Therapeutic Products Targeting Rare Diseases

Rancho Cordova, CA (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - SK pharmteco today announced a collaboration agreement with Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator (OTXL), a non-profit biotechnology organization whose goal is to advance and improve access to treatments for rare diseases that are currently blocked from market launch, in order to support the advancement of new therapeutic programs.

Building on SK pharmteco’s Rare Disease Advancement Initiative, this strategic partnership reflects a deep commitment to accelerating programs addressing significant unmet needs and bringing treatments to patients more quickly, through thoughtful commercial flexibility designed to foster long-term impact and scalability. Under this agreement, SK pharmteco will act as a preferred technical partner, providing essential technical expertise to accelerate the development of OTXL’s product portfolio toward clinical and commercial milestones.

“We believe that patients with rare diseases deserve access to the most reliable and sophisticated manufacturing solutions in the world,” commented Joerg Ahlgrimm, President and CEO of SK pharmteco. “Rare disease programs are often subject to tight deadlines and specific resource constraints. Reliable technical execution and flexible partnerships are therefore essential. By combining our specialized manufacturing capabilities and deep technical expertise with OTXL’s programs, we are helping to accelerate the development and delivery of critical treatments, while reinforcing our position as a leading CDMO specializing in rare diseases.”

Under the agreed terms, SK pharmteco will grant OTXL priority access and preferential pricing for up to two therapeutic programs per year. Encompassing a comprehensive suite of advanced manufacturing services, this collaborative framework includes the following services:

• Process development : optimization and scaling of robust protocols adapted to complex modalities;
• Analysis development : design of precise analytical methods to ensure safety and facilitate molecular characterization;
• Manufacturing in accordance with GMP and quality control before placing on the market : guaranteeing compliance with the strictest standards in terms of regulatory compliance and quality of products intended for clinical applications.

“One of the most frequent obstacles to advancing rare disease programs lies in the manufacturing risks associated with the development stage, where uncertainties regarding access, cost, and continuity can derail a program before it even reaches patients. Establishing a network of partners capable of mitigating risks at this stage and scaling up to commercialization is essential to creating viable pathways for these programs, which the traditional model cannot support,” says Craig Martin, founder and CEO of OTXL. “SK pharmteco brings strong, world-class technical expertise to our network, and its commitment to organizing access to treatments while taking into account the realities of rare disease development makes it a valuable asset to the ecosystem we are building.”

About SK pharmteco:
SK pharmteco is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with production facilities, research and development facilities, and analytical laboratories in the United States, Europe, and South Korea. The company collaborates with biopharmaceutical companies of all sizes to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates, develop gene therapy technologies, supply licensed raw materials, and provide analytical services to the global biopharmaceutical industry. SK pharmteco is a subsidiary of SK Inc. (KRX: 034730) (SK), the strategic investment company of the SK Group, South Korea's second-largest conglomerate.

About Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator:
Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator (OTXL) is a non-profit biotechnology organization dedicated to acquiring, developing, and facilitating commercial access to promising clinical-stage treatments for ultra-rare diseases whose development has been stalled for financial or strategic reasons. OTXL utilizes alternative development and financing models to advance its programs efficiently and sustainably, with proceeds reinvested to support the development of new treatments for rare diseases.