EMD Millipore, the life science business of Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck, has entered into a strategic alliance with Turgut Ilac, a biosimilars company based in Turkey, to provide its Provantage End-to-End services for development and manufacturing of biologics.

EMD Millipore’s solution is a comprehensive suite of products and services enabling biopharmaceutical companies to accelerate progress of molecules into the clinic and toward commercialization. The turnkey package includes process development, cGMP manufacturing, facility design, equipment for pilot plant production, process and equipment training, technology transfer, equipment qualification and set-up for commercialization.

Under the multiyear agreement with Turgut Ilac, EMD Millipore will provide process development, equipment for a pilot facility, cGMP manufacturing, facility design and ultimately, technology transfer of the manufacturing process to Turgut’s facility for commercial production. Use of an identical template in both pilot and commercial scale facilitates technology transfer.

Phase one of the agreement will focus on monoclonal antibody biosimilars for non-small cell lung carcinoma and rheumatoid arthritis, the first molecules of Turgut's biosimilar pipeline that will be supported by EMD Millipore under the strategic relationship. Financial terms have not been disclosed.