London-based AAV specialist CDMO Ascend Advanced Therapies is partnering with equity firm EW Healthcare Partners to expand its footprint and capabilities in the U.S.
Per the deal, Advanced BioScience Laboratories (ABL), a portfolio company of EW Healthcare Partners, will become part of Ascend. ABL is a biotherapy, oncolytic and viral vector CDMO located in Rockville, Maryland. In addition, EW will make a "significant" (unspecified) capital investment in Ascend to support continued growth of the company.
According to EW, merging ABL with Ascend will create a scalable CDMO that will serve as a global platform for the manufacturing of advanced therapies. The ABL Rockville team and facility will bring Ascend additional virus modalities and GMP capacity for AAV production. The merger also expands Ascend’s fill-finish capacity in the U.S., making the combined group one of the few suppliers with a comprehensive R&D to commercial offering in the market.
The merger complements a busy year for Ascend, which has included operational investments in the U.S. and Europe. Back in April, Ascend acquired GMP manufacturing capacity in Alachua, Florida from Beacon Therapeutics. In Munich, Germany, GMP quality control testing, analytical, and process development capacity are close to launch, with the facility also undergoing expansion.
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