This week in pharma… 30th September

In this week’s news, Abzena has upgraded its research and development capabilities in Cambridge, CordenPharma acquires three facilities from Vifor Pharma, and more.

Abzena, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that provides integrated discovery, development, and manufacturing of biologics and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), has upgraded its research and development capabilities in Cambridge, UK. This features an investment in B cell discovery technologies. 

As we near the fourth quarter of 2022, what have been the key mergers and acquisitions thus far in 2022 in the CDMO/CMO sector and what new CDMOs/CMOs have entered the market? CordenPharma added to its drug-product manufacturing capabilities earlier this year (2022) with the acquisition of three facilities from Vifor Pharma, a Saint Gallen, Switzerland-headquartered specialty pharmaceutical company.  

Drug development and manufacturing accelerator, Quotient Sciences has completed major investments and expansions at its Nottingham, UK and Reading, UK, facilities to increase laboratory and clinical capacity. The expansion will support the delivery of fully integrated drug development programs through the Company’s flagship platform, Translational Pharmaceutics. 

Monon Bioventures has received nearly $400,000 to develop a Purdue discovered glioblastoma treatment. Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive cancers of the nervous system and Monon Bioventures has partnered with leading viral vector CDMO Genezen and Purdue university to ‘arm’ natural killer cells to attack the cancer and prove manufacturability.  

Pfizer strengthens AI drug discovery collaboration with equity investment. Pfizer and Cytoreason have been partnered on artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies for drug discovery and development since 2019. The latest deal brings the companies closer.

Also in the news

Atreca, a biopharmaceutical company, is searching for originality in cancer therapies by going to the source. Cancer researchers are injecting antigens into mice and sharks to induce an antibody response; taking samples of their blood to find and target Tumor Specific Antigens (TSA’s) and adapt them for therapeutic use in the human body.

CDMO trends

Some developments of note in the contracting sector:  

Fujifilm continues CDMO expansion, breaking ground on a $435M UK site. Fujifilm Diosynth announced that it has kicked off an expansion project for its microbial manufacturing facility at its campus in the town of Billingham, UK, in the northeast of England. 

Investigational New Drug CDMO Market worth $7.47 billion by 2030 – Exclusive Report by InsightAce Analytic. 

Fujifilm continues CDMO expansion, breaking ground on a $435M UK site. Fujifilm Diosynth announced that it has kicked off an expansion project for its microbial manufacturing facility at its campus in the town of Billingham, UK, in the northeast of England. 

Global Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products CDMO Market is estimated to reach over USD 16.15 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 11.25%.