Abzena, Argonaut partner to expedite drug development

As per the agreement, the contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) will provide discovery to development services, facilitating rapid decision-making, efficient technology transfer, and a reduction in supply chain complexity. 

“This partnership will assist the client in managing multiple suppliers for various parts of the product supply chain. In addition, the coordination of the drug substance (DS) to drug product (DP) progression can be managed to insure optimum efficiency. Both companies have proven systems in place which allow the transition from discovery/development to commercial manufacturing,” a spokesperson for Abzena told BioProcess Insider. 

“Project management coordination and oversight will ensure seamless transitions from development phase to commercial phase across both organizations. Simply put, we can significantly reduce the time and resources required to manage two separate service providers with a focus on best in class, quality products.” 

The collaboration will provide services ranging from antibody engineering, cell line development, process and analytical development. According to the firms, Abzena’s antibody discovery, development and cGMP manufacturing capabilities along with Argonaut’s sterile fill/finish offering will optimize efficiency and accelerate timelines. 

“Enabling our clients to more easily manage the complexity of drug development, [...] we are able to present the wholistic DS/DP offering to a global audience.  In addition, Abzena has significant DP formulation capabilities which complement Argonaut’s DP services,” the spokesperson added. 

Notably, this agreement mirrors Argonaut's partnership with KBI BioPharma announced in January 2024, which also centered on providing drug substance and drug product manufacturing solutions.