Japanese companies acquire CMO KBI Biopharma
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. And following completion of the acquisition, JSR will own the majority interest in KBI within the acquiring group.
The acquisition will not result in any changes to management, employees or infrastructure, KBI spokesman Andrew Cohen told Outsourcin-Pharma.com
The support from JSR will help to expand capacity and the geographic reach of KBI, as well as to help the company financially and strategically, Cohen said. He added that it’s to be determined on whether additional capacity from KBI will be used for JSR projects.
Eric Johnson, President of JSR Micro, told Outsoucing-Pharma.com, “KBI is much more than a contract manufacturer and that is what is most interesting to JSR…We will look to KBI to enhance our bioprocess product development and increase our understanding of the market in general. This new relationship not only fits our business strategy but will help drive our innovation cycle. It was clear that KBI was the right choice.”
In addition to the acquisition of KBI, JSR and CMIC have entered into a joint project to develop design and manufacturing processes and process materials for the next generation of antibody pharmaceuticals. Both companies expect the new relationship with KBI to contribute to the project’s success. INCJ will support this, and other development efforts, through its industry-academia- government network in Japan.
“Through this exciting new partnership, we will leverage the combination of KBI’s core competencies, along with the material science leadership, global presence and financial strength of our new partners,” said KBI President and CEO Joe McMahon. “In addition, with our well-aligned values and common focus on scientific innovation and customer service, we will continue our mission to improve the quality of human life by accelerating our clients’ development of innovative medicines for patients on a global basis.”
