Early drug development phase bioassay developer Abzena has expanded its microbiology laboratory facility in San Diego for segregated quality control (QC) testing and analytical services.
The contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO)'s new lab was designed as a standalone space to separate product testing from all other testing being conducted in the microbiological space, Abzena said in a statement. The expansion enables segregating product microbiological testing from utility and environmental microbiological testing to minimize the risk of cross-contamination.
In response to an increase in bioconjugate and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs in drug development pipelines, Abzena in March announced an upgrade to its Bristol, PA, bioconjugate development and current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) manufacturing site as well. The company also has a facility in Cambridge, U.K.
ADCs have potential to treat a range of hematologic and solid tumors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its first industry guidance for ADCs in March 2024 to provide clinical pharmacology recommendations for ADC development and FDA approval. As of January 2024, 11 ADCs have been approved by the FDA for oncology.
Abzena has been owned by the firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe since 2018.