Hospital-backed Civica Rx has struck a number of deals to buy from contractors generic drugs that are often in short supply. Now, it has struck a deal for a CDMO to help it develop its own brand of drugs for which it will own the drug applications.
The group Friday announced (PDF) a seven-year deal with Thermo Fisher Scientific to help it develop nine “critical medications” for which Civica Rx will own the abbreviated new drug applications. The nine were selected because they have been in short supply or might end up in short supply because there are not enough companies still producing them.
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“The Thermo Fisher team is known for top manufacturing talent, supply reliability, product quality and innovation," Civica CEO Martin VanTrieste said in a statement. "We look forward to working with them to develop and produce Civica medicines.”
Civica was founded in 2018 to address drug shortages as hospitals found it increasing difficulty to get their hands on some essential medications. It says it now represents more than 1,200 U.S. hospitals. It has struck deals to ensure supplies of a variety of drugs with other CDMOS like Hikma Pharmaceuticals for more than a dozen injectables, Xellia Pharmaceuticals to produce antibiotics and Exela Pharma Sciences to provide sodium bicarbonate.