BIO 2023: Bringing CDMOs together

In timing with the BIO International Convention, JSR Life Sciences has announced it is bringing Selexis under the KBI banner, while RoslinCT is fully absorbing CDMO Lykan Bioscience.

Boston plays host to BIO this week but ahead of the main event, inboxes have already been filled with industry players looking to shout their news from the BCEC’s rooftops. While many of these can be ignored – editorial aside, just because you think its interesting it doesn’t mean we do – there have been several examples of shrinkage in the third-party space as merged entities fully get together.

It has been 10 months since UK-based cell therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) RoslinCT – a spinout from the Roslin Institute – agreed to merge with Massachusetts-based Lykan Bioscience.

Now, in a press conference scheduled for Tuesday June 6 at 9 am ET, it will be announced the two entities will be fully integrated under the RoslinCT brand, forming what it describes as “a dominant player in the cell therapy CDMO market.”

According to the billing, “This integration brings together enhanced expertise, resources, and transatlantic cGMP manufacturing capabilities, strengthening our commitment to supporting the development and commercialization of life-saving cell therapies worldwide.”

The combined company offers process and analytical development laboratories and cGMP manufacturing facilities from Lykan’s 64,000 square-foot facility in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and RoslinCT’s 40,000 square-foot facility in Edinburgh, Scotland.

KBI

Meanwhile, six years ago JSR Life Sciences (JLS) acquired cell-line tech development firm Selexis with aims to combine it with its biologics CDMO business KBI Biopharma, itself acquired in 2015. While the two companies have been working hand-in-hand to offer customers integrated services – the two subsidiaries even share a facility in Geneva, Switzerland – it is only now the businesses will fall under the single brand, KBI Biopharma.

“The operational consolidation of these two exceptional companies represents a major shift in how KBI Biopharma will operate moving forward,” said J.D. Mowery, the recently appointed CEO of the two units. “By providing fully integrated solutions for our customers, we will be a stronger partner that can help them each reach their goals more efficiently.”

While no official press conference is scheduled, Mowery and other execs will be present on the shw floor at BIO.