Belgian CRO launches EU joint venture with Chromatography Institute

20-Feb-2017 - Last updated on 21-Feb-2017 at 09:20 GMT

The Research Institute for Chromatography (RIC) and Anacura have joined forces to create anaRIC biologics, an R&D and GMP analytical specialist CRO for biologics.

The RIC combined forces with Anacura on the basis that specialist analysis of biologics requires a different expertise and dedicated workspace to that of small molecules.

As a privately owned venture, anaRIC biologics will focus on the analysis of biologics such as antibodies, proteins and peptides for the therapeutic, diagnostic and vaccine markets.

Katleen Broos, spokesperson at anaRIC biologics, told us that this new collaboration would offer existing customers of both the contract research organisations Anacura and the RIC access to each firm’s sites for specialist services on biologics and biosimilars.

“There is a nice interplay between the two facilities and everything is in place for the smooth transfer from the R&D to the GMP space. For customers, we're an independent service provider for products at the early stage up until market approval,” she explained.

Broos added anaRIC offers a "complete" analytical package, from discovery through to market approval.

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Yves Meyvis, another spokesperson for anaRIC biologics, told us: “After talking to our existing customers, we felt the need for an independent quality control lab - we want to be a single point of contact for analytics. Our core focus is offering solutions in an R&D and GMP setting.”

GMP site

anaRIC biologics itself is based in a purpose-build facility outside Ghent in Evergem, around 60km from the RIC in Kortrijk, where Anacu

ra has been located since September 2014.

Between the two sites the collaboration has access to 250 employees, 80 of which are part of the pure analytics team, for characterization and GMP.

Broos also explained the 10,000 sq meter facility uses automated environmental controls of its labs, which reduces risk of residue transfer between LC and GC instruments.

“Our instruments include Agilent and Waters HPLC, UPLC and mass spectrometry equipment. Other technologies, such as those for Pharmacopoeia testing and electrophoresis, have been acquired based on robustness, automation and low volume features,” she added.

Broos told us there is a lot of exchange happening in the mass spectrometry space as well, which is where anaRIC biologics is looking to expand.

However: “Although we're also looking to expand our US client base, we're not looking to build over there. We're here to help US customers launch their products in the European market.”