Altus to manufacture drugs in Czech Republic

Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cambridge said today it has signed a long-term agreement with Lonza Group Ltd. to manufacture some of its drug candidates at a Lonza facility in the Czech Republic.

Altus focuses on oral and injectable protein therapeutics for patients with gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders.

The agreement calls for Lonza to manufacture Altus's ALTU-135 drug substances.

ALTU-135 is an orally administered enzyme replacement therapy in development for patients with pancreatic insufficiency, Altus said.

Earlier this week, Altus disclosed plans to initiate its Phase 3 clinical trial for ALTU-135 in the second quarter of 2007.

"We believe selecting Lonza is a significant milestone for the ALTU-135 program," Altus chief executive Sheldon Berkle said in a statement. "We continue to work towards putting the pieces in place for a successful ALTU-135 commercial launch."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)