Lotte Biologics said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Asimov, a Boston-based biotechnology company, to collaborate on contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services.
Lotte Biologics CEO James Park (left) and Asimov CEO Alex Nielsen shake hands after signing the cooperation agreement at Asimov headquarters in Boston, U.S., on Wednesday (local time). (Credit: Lotte Biologics)
Under the agreement, Lotte Biologics will leverage Asimov's next-generation cell line development platform technology to provide comprehensive services from cell line development to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production. The collaboration is expected to significantly enhance Lotte Biologics’ CDMO capabilities and track record.
Prior to the agreement, Lotte Biologics successfully tested the scalability and mass production capabilities of Asimov’s proprietary CHO Edge system at its Syracuse Bio Campus. Building on these results, the two companies aim to deliver end-to-end services to their clients.
Asimov’s CHO Edge system is a synthetic biology-based platform designed for cell line development. By optimizing and engineering Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells at the genetic level, it accelerates the production of antibody and protein therapeutics. The platform incorporates automation and AI-driven analytics to enable rapid development of high-productivity, uniform cell lines.
By integrating CHO Edge with Lotte Biologics' GMP manufacturing expertise, the two companies expects to ensure seamless transitions from cell line development to commercial-scale production.
“The partnership serves as an opportunity to maximize the strengths of both companies,” Lotte Biologics CEO James Park said. “Through the synergy of Asimov’s advanced technology and Lotte Biologics’ production capabilities, we aim to deliver differentiated services to our clients while contributing to the advancement of the biotech industry and ultimately improving patient outcomes.”
Asimov CEO Alex Nielsen also said, “We are excited to integrate our CHO Edge system with Lotte Biologics’ robust manufacturing capabilities.”
The partnership will allow clients to transition smoothly from cell line engineering to large-scale production while significantly reducing development timelines, Nielsen added.