DSM Pharmaceutical Products, the custom manufacturing and technology business of Royal DSM, announced that it has signed a biologics contract manufacturing agreement with its first Brazilian client, Recepta Biopharma in São Paulo.

The contract covers the process development and cGMP manufacture by DSM of one of Recepta's lead antibodies at its facilities based in Groningen, The Netherlands. DSM started production to supply drug substance materials to be used in the initial clinical trials of this antibody beginning in May of 2012.

This project represents DSM Biologics first agreement in the high growth South American market place. Recepta Biopharma is a biotechnology company dedicated to the research and development of monoclonal antibodies to be used in the treatment of cancer.

In addition to the R&D and manufacturing site in Groningen, DSM is building operations in Brisbane, Australia, with the governments of Queensland and the Commonwealth.

Financial terms were not disclosed.