AbCellera

Last updated

AbCellera Biologics Inc.
Company type Public
Nasdaq:  ABCL
Industry
Founded2012;13 years ago (2012)
Headquarters Vancouver, British Columbia
Revenue38 million (2023)
Decrease2.svg US $-163 million (2024)
Number of employees
596 (2024) [1]
Website abcellera.com

AbCellera Biologics Inc. is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based biotechnology company that discovers and develops antibody therapeutics. The company is best known for its leading role in the Pandemic Prevention Platform, a project of DARPA's Biological Technologies Office. [2] AbCellera utilizes a proprietary technology platform, which they claim can develop "medical countermeasures within 60 days." [3] Its platform for single-cell screening was initially developed at the University of British Columbia. [4]

Contents

History

AbCellera was founded in 2012 by biomedical researchers Carl Hansen, Véronique Lecault, Kevin Heyries, Daniel Da Costa and Oleh Petriv. In November 2016, the company received a US$645K grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a test for tuberculosis. [5] In September 2018, a $10M series A round of funding was closed. [6] In May 2020, a $105M series B round of funding was closed. [7] [8]

In January 2017, AbCellera announced that it would be collaborating with Pfizer to discover and develop antibodies against "undisclosed membrane protein targets.” [9] [10]

In September 2021, the company announced a multi-year agreement with Moderna to develop mRNA-based antibody treatments against multiple diseases. [11]

In January 2022, the company received a $1.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to identify monoclonal antibodies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). [12]

Product development

COVID-19 treatments

In June 2020, AbCellera announced it had begun the world's first study of a potential antibody treatment against COVID-19, with a Phase 1 trial of LY-CoV555 (Bamlanivimab), in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company. [13] The drug was granted an Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November 2020, and subsequently renewed in February and March 2021. [14] [15] The EUA was revoked in April 2021, with the FDA citing an updated conclusion that "the known and potential benefits of bamlanivimab alone no longer outweigh the known and potential risks for the product," because of significantly reduced efficacy against emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2. [16]

A second COVID-19 antibody - Bebtelovimab - was given Emergency Use Authorization in February 2022, with the U.S. Government committing to a $720 million purchase of up to 600,000 doses. [17] The FDA revoked the authorization in November 2022 as the drug was no longer expected to be effective against new subvariants of the virus. [18]

ABCL635

In May 2025, AbCellera received authorization from Health Canada to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial of ABCL635, an antibody targeting NK3R that is being developed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women. [19] . The first patient was dosed in August 2025. [20]

ABCL575

In May 2025, AbCellera received authorization from Health Canada to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial of ABCL575, an antibody targeting OX40 ligand for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis [21] . The first patient was dosed in August 2025. [22]

ABCL688

In August 2025, AbCellera announced that ABCL688, an antibody targeting an undisclosed GPCR or ion channel target involved in autoimmune disease, had entered into IND-enabling studies with Phase 1 trials expected to begin in 2026. [20]

References

  1. ↑ "AbCellera Form 10-K". AbCellera Biologics Inc. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  2. ↑ Niiler, Eric (2020-02-14). "Darpa Cranks Up Antibody Research to Stall Coronavirus". Wired . Condé Nast . Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  3. ↑ Cumbers, John (2020-02-05). "The Synthetic Biology Companies Racing To Fight Coronavirus". Forbes . Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  4. ↑ Shore, Randy (2017-03-03). "B.C.'s biotech leaders are growing up and going global". Vancouver Sun . Postmedia Network . Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  5. ↑ "Grant: AbCellera Biologics Inc". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . November 2016. Archived from the original on 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  6. ↑ McGrane, Clare (2018-09-27). "AbCellera raises $10M for machine-learning fueled antibody discovery platform". GeekWire . Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  7. ↑ Gormley, Brian (2020-05-27). "AbCellera Banks $105 Million for Antibodies, Including for Covid-19". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  8. ↑ Knapp, Alex. "AbCellera Raises $105 Million To Boost Drug Discovery Against Coronavirus And Other Diseases". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  9. ↑ Heyries, Kevin (2017-01-05). "AbCellera Announces Multi-Target Research Collaboration with Pfizer". AbCellera. Archived from the original on 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  10. ↑ "Research programme: transmembrane protein modulators - AbCellera/Pfizer". Adis Insight - Springer Science+Business Media . 2021-02-28. Archived from the original on 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  11. ↑ Khandekar, Amruta (2021-09-15). "AbCellera and Moderna team up to develop antibody therapies". Reuters . Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  12. ↑ "AbCellera Biologics Inc". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . January 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  13. ↑ "Lilly Begins World's First Study of a Potential COVID-19 Antibody Treatment in Humans". Lilly. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "An EUA for Bamlanivimab—A Monoclonal Antibody for COVID-19". JAMA. 325 (9): 880–881. 2021-03-02. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.24415 . ISSN   0098-7484. PMID   33306087.
  15. ↑ Hinton, Denise M. (2021-04-16). "RE: Emergency Use Authorization 090". U.S. Food & Drug Administration . Archived from the original on 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  16. ↑ Office of the Commissioner (2021-04-19). "Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Revokes Emergency Use Authorization for Monoclonal Antibody Bamlanivimab". U.S. Food & Drug Administration . Archived from the original on 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  17. ↑ Tong, Amber (2022-02-14). "As Omicron rages, FDA clears Eli Lilly/AbCellera's new antibody days after $720M supply deal". Endpoints News. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  18. ↑ "FDA Announces Bebtelovimab is Not Currently Authorized in Any US Region". U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "AbCellera Receives Authorization from Health Canada to Initiate the Phase 1 Clinical Trial of ABCL635 for Vasomotor Symptoms Due to Menopause". AbCellera Biologics Inc. 14 May 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  20. 1 2 "AbCellera Reports Q2 2025 Business Results & First Participants Dosed in a Phase 1 Clinical Trial of ABCL635 for Vasomotor Symptoms". AbCellera Biologics Inc. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  21. ↑ "AbCellera Receives Authorization from Health Canada to Initiate a Phase 1 Clinical Trial of ABCL575". AbCellera Biologics Inc. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  22. ↑ "AbCellera Doses First Participants in a Phase 1 Clinical Trial of ABCL575". AbCellera Biologics Inc. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
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