Soligenix, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases where there is an unmet medical need, has signed a worldwide exclusive license to supply its ricin antigen to SERB Pharmaceuticals for development of a novel therapeutic treatment against ricin toxin poisoning. There is an unmet need for protection against this highly potent toxin for which there is no vaccine or therapeutic intervention available.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Soligenix on the use of their antigen to accelerate our ricin therapeutic program. With no current therapeutic options, the threat of ricin represents a significant unmet need in the field of biodefense and medical countermeasures,” said Anthony Higham, CEO of SERB Pharmaceuticals. “Our expertise in antibody development and the commercial scale manufacturing capabilities acquired with BTG together with SERB’s track record of reliably providing a portfolio of high-quality Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) antidotes, uniquely positions us to successfully deliver a solution.”

Christopher Schaber, president and CEO of Soligenix, said, “Beyond our own development of a heat stable ricin vaccine (RiVax) to protect against lethal ricin poisoning, which has been supported with more than $30 million dollars to date by the U.S. government, we felt it important to also partner with SERB in the development of its ricin therapeutic drug candidate. SERB is a leader in the field of medical countermeasures to protect the public and military forces. By supplying our novel ricin antigen as an important component of their formulation, we are hopeful that it will assist in accelerating development of this early-stage program.”   

In pursuit of a ricin antidote, SERB will leverage its unique broad-spectrum polyclonal antibody platform, gained in its acquisition of BTG Specialty Pharmaceuticals. This specialized manufacturing process generates binding fragments from antibodies that are specific to a given antigen, helping to ensure potency and purity. This platform is currently used to manufacture two of the company’s currently marketed products, CroFab and DigiFab.

The antibodies will be generated using a modified form of the ricin toxin, developed by Soligenix. The modifications have removed the biological activity of the protein so that it is not toxic, while still retaining its shape to trigger an effective antibody response.

The specific licensing terms have not been disclosed at this time, but consist of a manufacturing supply agreement and small royalty percentage upon commercialization.