The new offering from the global partner research organization (PRO), Abzena, will provide clients with a reduction in risk, cost, and time required to explore multiple lead candidates through cell line development and manufacturing.
A spokesperson for Abzena told us, “We launched the developability service due to demand from customers for a better picture of which leads they should take forward into manufacturing. By ensuring that key liabilities have been assessed our partners can be more confident of their lead candidate’s success.”
The service will combine the company’s existing discovery, immunogenicity assessment, protein engineering, formulation, bioassay, and analytical experience in one offering.
According to the spokesperson, Abzena’s assessment is based on multiple readouts that capture the fundamental characteristics of successful drug design: specificity, functionality, safety, and manufacturability.
“Based on these parameters we can then make recommendations as to which lead has the least risk or what steps can be taken to mitigate risks,” they added.
According to the spokesperson, developability can accelerate related processes as it identifies liabilities early which can be engineered out, or mitigated against before moving into critical cell line development and manufacturing steps.
Abzena’s developability assessment and optimization service will be provided through the company’s Cambridge, UK, site and is adapted to the stage of development and the properties of the selected molecule on a dedicated full-time equivalent basis.
The Cambridge site will also support chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) of a project recently established by an agreement between Abzena and Lipum for the development of biologics for juvenile idiopathic arthritis.