24 January 2023 - - US-based KBI Biopharma, Inc., a JSR Life Sciences company, has entered into a subcontract with Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc. for the continued development and manufacturing of MBP134, an experimental combination monoclonal antibody treatment for Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), the company said.

With the recent outbreak in Uganda, Mapp was contracted by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the US Department of Health and Human Services, to develop emergency doses of MBP134 to address this critical medical need.

Currently, there are no FDA-approved medical countermeasures available for SUDV.

KBI is playing an important role in supporting Mapp's efforts by providing expedited product development support including analytical and manufacturing contributions across multiple global sites.

In September 2022, public health authorities in the Republic of Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by SUDV. According to the World Health Organization, there were 142 confirmed cases and 55 deaths as of December 5, 2022.

Currently, there is no cure for Sudan ebolavirus virus disease, which has a fatality rate of around 50%.

While there is no widely available cure, promising therapeutic options such as MBP134 are in development. MBP134 is a two-antibody therapeutic candidate with demonstrated pan-ebolavirus efficacy in non-clinical studies.

Alternative therapeutic approaches are often restricted to a single member of the Ebolavirus genus.

In contrast, MBP134 confers unprecedented protection against antigenically diverse ebolaviruses at a single dosage.

KBI Biopharma, Inc., a JSR Life Sciences company, is a global contract development and manufacturing organization providing fully integrated, accelerated drug development and biologics manufacturing services and expertise to life science companies.

With each of its 500+ client partners, KBI works closely to personalize and rapidly accelerate drug development programs.

Built upon a foundation of world-class analytics capabilities and extensive scientific and technical expertise, KBI delivers robust process development and clinical and commercial cGMP manufacturing services for mammalian, microbial, and cell therapy programs.

Recognized for quality manufacturing, KBI helps partners advance drug candidates into the clinic and to the market.

KBI serves its global partners with eight locations in Europe and the USA.

Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc. (San Diego, CA) is a privately owned biotech company that develops novel antibody drugs to prevent and treat infectious diseases, focusing on unmet needs in global health and biodefense.