Repligen riding high on Protein A strategic partnerships

Repligen says strategic partnerships are strengthening its proteins business, following a quarter which saw deals inked with Navigo Proteins and Purolite.

For the second quarter 2018, bioprocessing tools and equipment supplier Repligen Corporation reported total revenues of US$48 million (€42 million), up 47% on the same period last year.

The firm also reported sequential gains in its proteins franchise, where revenue increased nearly 10% over the first quarter. The segment includes its Protein A chromatography ligand and cell culture capture media, which – until the firm began diversifying its bioprocessing offering through M&A in 2014 – was its major business. Protein A is seen as the gold-standard in monoclonal antibody capture.

During a financial call last week, Repligen said its strength in it proteins business is coming from existing customers including MilliporeSigma, GE Healthcare, and Purolite (which extended its Protein A ligand supply deal until 2022 last year).

But CEO Tony Hunt added the growth of both its ligand and resin portfolio and Protein A sales have been driven by strategic partnerships with companies which Repligen believe have technologies which fit into its platform.

This includes deals struck in the quarter with Navigo Proteins to develop next-generation ligands, and a commercialization deal with Purolite Life Sciences.

“Both collaborations strengthened our long-term Repligen-owned affinity ligand strategy within our proteins franchise,” Hunt said. “Navigo and Purolite are examples of the types of partnerships that we can put in place, and our plan would be over the next year to have additional partnerships that would further strengthen the portfolio whether it’s in filtration or chromatography.”

Navigo and Purolite

“With Navigo Proteins, we signed a long-term agreement to co-develop a series of affinity ligands focused on monoclonal antibody on non-Mab targets,” Hunt said. “The agreement secures for Repligen both IP and exclusivity on the ligands that we co-develop with Navigo, using their high-throughput screening platform.”

Purolite, meanwhile, will combine Repligen’s next-generation Protain A ligand NGL-Impac A with its Praesto agarose jetting base bead technology.

“Purolite’s Jetted A50 resin product is now available to the broader bioprocessing customer base, so we expect good traction for ligands in the marketplace based on the initial performance data and customer feedback.”