Abzena and Mabqi Announce Strategic Partnership to Offer Integrated Discovery through Development Solution

SAN DIEGO and MONTPELLIER, France, Nov. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Abzena, the leading end-to-end integrated CDMO for complex biologics and bioconjugates, and Mabqi, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of fully human antibodies, announced the formation of a strategic partnership.

This collaboration will integrate Mabqi's antibody discovery capabilities with Abzena's development and manufacturing services, offering biopharma customers a more streamlined, end-to-end drug development solution.

Understanding the challenges of early-stage development, Mabqi and Abzena formed their partnership to offer a solution that enables drug developers to seamlessly bridge from discovery through lead candidate selection into pre-clinical development and beyond. Through this collaboration, customers will benefit from combined scientific and technical support, streamlined workflows, and accelerated development timelines.

The partnership's combined offerings will leverage Mabqi's LiteMab Antibody Discovery Studio for hit screening, characterization, and hit selection by using universal & pH-sensitive libraries to identify top lead candidates, and utilize Abzena's capabilities for developability, cell line development, process development, and GMP manufacturing. Both organizations have extensive expertise in supporting a broad range of modalities, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), mAb fragments, bi- and multi-specifics, and bioconjugates.

Campbell Bunce, CSO at Abzena, said, "Our partnership with Mabqi brings together two science-rich organizations that are focused on advancing antibody innovation through integration. The combination of our capabilities enables us to significantly accelerate our customers' discovery programs from end-to-end by leveraging data to streamline and de-risk earlier on in development, enabling a faster and more successful path to the clinic."

"Our strategic partnership with Abzena marks a significant milestone in offering an integrated antibody discovery-through-development solution by combining our complementary scientific expertise and advanced capabilities", said Sylvain Yon, CEO of Mabqi. "Beyond scientific excellence and innovation, what truly sets this collaboration apart is the exceptional human fit between our teams ensuring smooth cooperation, shared dedication to innovation and customer-focused relationship. Together, we are poised to accelerate the development of differentiated therapeutic antibodies that can make a meaningful impact for patients worldwide." 

About Abzena

Abzena is the leading end-to-end bioconjugate and complex biologics CDMO + CRO. From discovery through commercial launch, it supports its 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 Mabqi

Mabqi is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of fully human antibodies. Leveraging an innovative platform, we specialize in uncovering monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), pH-sensitive antibodies, and various other immunotherapy formats. Learn more at mabqi.com.