AbZelectPRO™ enables biopharma customers to reach their research cell bank in 10 weeks with 8g/L

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Abzena, the leading end-to-end integrated CDMO for complex biologics and bioconjugates, has announced that its mammalian cell line development platform, AbZelectPRO™, has significantly reduced its timelines by >30% and improved its overall protein production levels. The platform now offers biopharma customers the ability to bridge from DNA to research cell bank (RCB) in 10 weeks, producing up to 8g/L of high-performing titres before process development. As of today, AbZelectPRO™ will be Abzena's standard platform offering for all its customers.

The AbZelectPRO™ platform combines ProteoNic's 2G UNic® vector technology with Abzena's host CHO cell line to deliver a higher frequency of high-producing clones for therapeutic protein and recombinant vaccine production. The 2G UNic vector technology uses the combined effect of novel genetic elements to exert a positive effect on recombinant protein production levels and boosts the performance of other expression-enhancing technologies. This integration not only increases product development efficiency and capacity but also reduces the cost of goods for biopharma customers.

Simon Keen, VP of Cell Line Development at Abzena, states: "Our goal with AbZelectPRO™ was to offer our customers a strong cell line development platform with shorter timelines, higher production levels and lower production costs. When we launched the platform in January 2024, we were utilizing data from initial research and development projects. Over the past 10 months we've been fine-tuning the platform, generating more data from real-world projects, which has allowed us to showcase its full potential and benefits to our customers. We are thrilled that AbZelectPRO™ has been able to consistently demonstrate improved cycle times and productivity, giving our customers more shots on goal in achieving success in the clinic."

The AbZelectPRO™ platform utilizes an optimized expression cassette to generate highly stable clones that maintain productivity beyond 60 generations. The platform's integration with the 2G UNic® vector technology has been proven to boost the expression levels for difficult-to-express proteins, including bispecifics, fusion proteins and other novel modalities. The 2G UNic® vector technology enhances various facets of protein production, including increased transcription, improved mRNA stability and transport, and more efficient translation. These enhancements work synergistically to achieve significantly higher production levels with Abzena's high-performing cell line.

"Integrating our 2G UNic® technology into AbZelectPRO™ enhances the platform's ability to boost yields, especially for challenging modalities such as bispecifics and fusion proteins," said Frank Pieper, CEO of ProteoNic. "This collaboration provides biopharma customers with a more efficient path to higher productivity, addressing their toughest expression challenges"

About Abzena

Abzena is the leading end-to-end bioconjugate and complex biologics CDMO + CRO. From discovery through commercial launch, we support customers with fully integrated programs or individual services designed to de-risk and streamline the development of new treatments for patients in need. With the ability to tailor its strategy and customer experience to each project, Abzena develops and implements innovative solutions that enable biotech and biopharma companies to realize the full potential of their molecule and move medicines forward faster. The company has research, development, and cGMP facilities across locations in San Diego, CA, Bristol, PA, and Cambridge, UK. Abzena is owned by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, one of the world's leading private equity investors. Learn more at abzena.com.

About ProteoNic

ProteoNic is a privately held biotechnology company with offices in Leiden, The Netherlands. The company specializes in advanced cell line generation and viral vector production, with a focus on improving the yield and efficiency of protein production using its proprietary 2G UNic® vector technology. ProteoNic collaborates with partners across the biopharmaceutical industry to bring innovative biologics as well as cell and gene therapies to market faster and more efficiently. For more information, visit proteonic.nl.