Dive Brief:
- Gene editing specialist Horizon Discovery Group has formed a partnership with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) to support biologic manufacturing in the U.K. and Ireland.
- Horizon is licensing its biomanufacturing cell lines and offering its expertise to any organization through CPI and NIBRT. The agreement will allow other companies and groups to access the cell lines for the research of biologic therapeutics.
- While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, companies will be permitted to alter cell lines and continue to use them once products are manufactured.
Dive Insight:
The deal is a win-win for both Horizon and researchers — the research organizations and any partners get access to high quality cell lines, while Horizon will maintain a revenue stream on any products that result from the research.
"Horizon is committed to driving innovation in bioprocessing. We value the opportunity to work with key industry players including CPI and NIBRT, to ensure that we are delivering the best solutions for our customers and ultimately for patients," said Horizon Discovery CEO Darrin Disley in a statement.
Biologic manufacturing can be costly — particularly for small companies that don't have access to the same resources as large pharmas. Even so, biologics are overtaking small molecules in the market. Seven of the ten top selling drugs in 2015 were biologics, pointed out Horizon.
The deal encourages innovation while providing budget-conscious researchers with a less costly alternative.