Vancouver’s AbCellera has acquired Boston’s TetraGenetics, a biotech company with a proprietary platform for generating recombinant human ion channels and other transmembrane proteins.
The acquisition was an all-cash transaction one that includes an upfront payment, the potential for payments based on the achievement of technical milestones, and additional development and commercial milestone payments related to successfully developed therapeutics.
TetraGenetics has leading technology and expertise in the expression and purification of ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), and other transmembrane proteins, which are implicated in many human diseases, including pain and autoimmune disorders.
High-value transmembrane proteins have proven extremely difficult to produce, making the generation of antibodies against them even more challenging. TetraGenetics has established a protein expression platform that addresses these production challenges and is uniquely able to generate highly pure, complex transmembrane proteins in quantities large enough to support antibody discovery.
Integrating TetraGenetics’ capabilities into AbCellera’s technology stack provides an optimized protein source for AbCellera’s antibody discovery. Together, these technologies have the potential to unlock the discovery of antibodies against these validated and sought-after drug targets.
“AbCellera is committed to investing in teams and technologies that have the potential to create new therapeutic opportunities, drive more value in our partnership business, and bring new therapies to patients,” said Carl Hansen, Ph.D., CEO of AbCellera. “We look forward to welcoming the TetraGenetics team and believe that these new capabilities, once integrated into AbCellera’s technology stack, will empower the discovery of new antibody therapies across a range of therapeutic areas.”
Earlier this year AbCellera broke ground on an expanded global headquarters in Vancouver in anticipation of adding hundreds of employees to its current 250-person workforce over the next few years.
Leave a Reply