Horizon Discovery Group enters bioproduction cell line licensing agreement with LakePharma
The terms of the license cover commercial use of a genetically-engineered Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line, developed by Horizon and adapted to manufacturing conditions by LakePharma.
Horizon Discovery Group has announced that its bioproduction business has signed a license agreement with LakePharma, a leading contract research organization (CRO) specializing in antibody and protein engineering, cell line development, and protein production. The terms of the license cover commercial use of a genetically-engineered Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line, developed by Horizon and adapted to manufacturing conditions by LakePharma.
Protein therapeutics represent a significant share of the top 50 drugs globally and are increasingly present in developmental pipelines. The provision and licensing of bioproduction cells for their manufacture, however, can be cost prohibitive and are often tied to long-term revenue-based licensing terms. Horizon’s flexible licensing model with simplified terms and no associated royalties allows any organization with ambitions in the biopharmaceutical marketplace, including small to medium size biotechs and Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs), to access state-of-the-art bioproduction cell lines.
LakePharma has adapted Horizon’s CHO cell for suspension growth, the preferred cell cultivation method for many manufacturing applications. Subsequently, LakePharma carried out a full evaluation of protein expression on the CHO cell line, showing significantly higher antibody production levels relative to their previous system. The evaluation also demonstrated the ability to identify a final expression clone after a relatively simple screening effort.
In alignment with strategic priorities, Horizon has leveraged this development effort to ensure that this cell line is now available for other organizations to license from Horizon for the manufacturing of biological therapeutics.
Dr Darrin M Disley, Horizon’s CEO, said: “The license agreement with LakePharma, the first of its kind, serves as recognition and validation of our approach to developing novel bioproduction cell lines. Until now, cell line development has been a rate-limiting step for improving upstream bioprocessing. With precise gene editing we are able to provide a key step in the path toward delivering next generation biological medicines. We look forward to seeing further uptake of this approach within the industry.”
Dr Fan Chen, Director of Bioprocessing, LakePharma, said: “The license agreement with Horizon allows us to offer a superior expression cell line to our customers, providing better value to them, while the one-time fee allows us maximal flexibility to utilize the cells to their best effect. I am delighted that the hard work we put in to adapting these cells has been reflected in their commercialization by Horizon.”
Related News
-
News Novartis signs US$3.2 bn subcutaneous delivery deal with Alteogen
Swiss pharma giant secures access to Korean biotech's ALT-B4 hyaluronidase platform in milestone-heavy agreement, marking Alteogen's fourth major licensing deal of 2026 as competition intensifies in the subcutaneous drug delivery space.
-
News Women in Pharma: The philosophy of pharmaceutical leadership
In this latest instalment of our Women in Pharma series, we sit down with Clarissa Sowemimo-Coker, Chief Strategy Officer at Ambrose Healthcare and CPHI Middle East Advisory Board Member.
-
News The PSCI Supplier Partnership - Collaboration for Responsible Supply Chains
About the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI) is the leading, member-led association for pharmaceutical companies working collaboratively to build responsible supply chains. Founded in 2006 and es... -
News AstraZeneca shares plunge 8.9% after reports of BMS talks
Britain's largest drugmaker lost more than GBP£17 billion in market value following reports of preliminary merger discussions with Bristol Myers Squibb that could create a pharmaceutical giant worth nearly US$400 billion, though investors rem... -
News GSK announces £400 million investment in new Cambridge R&D centre
Pharmaceutical giant to establish flagship research facility on Cambridge Biomedical Campus as part of strategic pipeline acceleration
-
News The CPHI Sustainability Summit - Where Conversation Becomes Collaboration
The Report Was Never the Destination - “The future of pharmaceutical sustainability won’t be shaped by individual organisations working in isolation. It will be shaped by partnerships, shared expertise and the willingness to work diffe... -
News Trump's generic drug tariffs set to reshape global pharmaceutical supply chains
The US president has announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 200% on imported generic medicines from August 2028, giving manufacturers a two-year window to establish domestic production facilities. The move threatens to upend a global supply chain t... -
News Building Safer, More Responsible Pharmaceutical Supply Chains: PSCI Global Audit Insights
The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI) has released its seventh annual Audit Findings Analysis Report, offering unprecedented insights into supplier practices across the global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.With a record-breaking 24...