Celonic Group and University College London (UCL) Announce Partnership to Produce Protein Therapeutics Using Celonic's CHOvolution® Platform

Basel, Switzerland/London, UK, 22^nd March 2021 – Celonic Group, a Swiss-German contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), and University College London, UK, are excited to announce their partnership for the production of therapeutic protein candidates using Celonic’s CHOvolution^® cell expression platform. The goal is to establish stable high-performance cell lines for the expression of recombinant human proteins and variants for planned proof of concept clinical trials. 

This partnership allows UCL access to Celonic’s CHOvolution^®, an industry-leading cell line development platform.  CHOvolution^® is based on CHO-K1 host cell line and is suitable for a broad range of applications – from non-GMP R&D testing to GMP development and commercial market supply.

Professor Howard Clark (UCL Institute for Women’s Health) said: “Efficient GMP production of human biologicals with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties allows for rapid translation of new agents into phase 1 safety and efficacy trials and faster exploitation of UCL basic science. This platform will facilitate testing of newly developed mimics of natural innate inmmune defence proteins with potential to treat inflammatory lung diseases ranging from neonatal chronic lung disease in babies to asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease in adults.”

“We are delighted to be supporting University College London with the clinical development of these novel protein therapeutics. The market-leading CHOvolution^® platform combined with our expertise in GMP production of recombinant proteins will help cut the time and costs required to bring these innovative therapeutics to clinical trials,” said Konstantin Matentzoglu, CEO of Celonic AG.

About CHOvolution^®

CHOvolution^® is a CHO-K1 and SEFEX-based (Serum Free Expression Technology) cell expression platform suitable for applications ranging from non-GMP R&D testing to GMP development and commercial market supply. The CHOvolution^® cell line development platform combines high productivity with a fast-track, streamlined workflow. CHOvolution^® enables high-yield, large-scale production of mAbs and recombinant proteins in fed-batch culture processes. CHOvolution’s streamlined workflow using FACSAria^® Fusion cytometer and single cell printer greatly reduces time-to-clinic and cGMP material for clinical trials can be delivered within 14 months from DNA sequence. CHOvolution^® enables high genetic stability and is scalable from 250 mL to 1000 L single use bioreactors. Besides offering cell line development services, Celonic is selling and out-licensing the system to other service providers and drug developers. CHOvolution^® is easy to implement with an industry-compliant user protocol and is free of royalties and milestone payments. Celonic offers an integrated support system, including expert advice from our scientists. 

For more information, visit www.celonic.com/chovolution

About University College London (UCL)

UCL is a diverse community with the freedom to challenge and think differently.

Our community of more than 41,500 students from 150 countries and over 12,500 staff pursues academic excellence, breaks boundaries and makes a positive impact on real world problems.

We are consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world and are one of only a handful of institutions rated as having the strongest academic reputation and the broadest research impact.

We have a progressive and integrated approach to our teaching and research – championing innovation, creativity and cross-disciplinary working. We teach our students how to think, not what to think, and see them as partners, collaborators and contributors. For almost 200 years, we are proud to have opened higher education to students from a wide range of backgrounds and to change the way we create and share knowledge.

We were the first in England to welcome women to university education and that courageous attitude and disruptive spirit is still alive today. We are UCL.

About Celonic

Celonic Group is a privately-owned CDMO based in Basel, Switzerland, with a state-of-the-art biomanufacturing facility in Heidelberg, Germany. Celonic provides comprehensive development and manufacturing services for biotherapeutics including cell line development, USP and DSP development, GMP and non-GMP manufacturing of biopharmaceutical drug substances and drug products, along with cell expression platforms and diagnostics. Celonic offers cell line development services for a wide range of protein therapeutics using CHOvolution^® and GEX^® cell expression platforms. With a new state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing facility for gene vectors and cell therapy, Celonic is soon expanding its existing ATMP development and GMP manufacturing capacity.

For more information, visit www.celonic.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube.