Piramal Pharma Solutions, a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and part of Piramal Pharma and its partner NP2, a non-profit generic drug manufacturer, announced their plans to finish the drug development phase of the generic cancer drug cyclophosphamide in October.

Cyclophosphamide, a widely prescribed generic, sterile injectable oncology medicine, is used to treat several cancers, including breast cancer and retinoblastoma, an eye cancer that occurs in young children.

According to a National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) survey conducted in late August of NCCN member institutions, 100 percent of respondents are experiencing a shortage of at least one anti-cancer agent and more than 20 percent of centres are currently in a shortage for five or more cancer medications. One such medicine is cyclophosphamide, which is currently in short supply in the EU and Canada. The top two cyclophosphamide manufacturers, both overseas, account for 92 percent of US sales, and one currently serves nearly 70 percent of the U.S. 200 mg ready-to-use solution market, according to Q2 IQVIA sales data.

To combat this issue, NP2 has been conducting cyclophosphamide drug development at PPS' Lexington site, where it will also manufacture cyclophosphamide, shortening and simplifying the supply chain between the manufacturing plant and cancer patients in the US. The Lexington site is currently undergoing an USD 85 million expansion to increase manufacturing capacity for drugs like cyclophosphamide.