Global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), Sterling Pharma Solutions has signed an agreement with Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (Nasdaq: MBRX) to support the company’s expanded development efforts for its potential COVID-19 treatment, WP1122.

Moleculin is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of drug candidates targeting highly resistant tumours and viruses. The company is preparing to submit a request to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Investigational New Drug (“IND”) status for WP1122.

The agreement will see Sterling undertaking final purification of the product at its site in Cary, North Carolina. It will also help ensure a reliable supply of the drug for preclinical studies and the anticipated clinical trials.

“In light of the added complexity surrounding drug production during the current COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to make sure we had a reliable source of drug supply located here in the US,” commented Walter Klemp, Chairman and CEO of Moleculin. “We are expanding our planned preclinical studies for the IND, so our contract with Sterling Pharma Solutions helps us cover this increased demand in combination with our expected use in clinical trials.”

Mat Minardi, President of US Operations at Sterling Pharma Solutions added: “It’s a privilege to support companies at such a pivotal time for the pharma sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the importance of innovative companies like Moleculin in the search for potential therapies.

“Our experience and expertise with carbohydrate chemistry, flexibility and ability to respond quickly and scale to Moleculin’s needs are key to this project and we look forward to collaborating with their team over the coming years.”