Beyond Protein A: Repligen continues diversification with Atoll buy
Massachusetts-based Repligen paid $22.5m for the German life sciences company, which makes a range of pre-packed chromatography columns.
Repligen generated most of its revenues through Protein A ligands, which are used to manufacture the resins biopharmaceutical companies use to capture monoclonal antibodies during production.
However, the firm has been trying to diversify its portfolio over the past few years and this deal is part of that strategy according to spokesperson Sondra Newman.
“This acquisition is a clear fit with our strategy to expand and diversify the portfolio of technology-leading products that we sell to end users,” she told Biopharma-Reporter.
She added the downstream bioprocessing sector is becoming more consolidated and this deal will bring an advantage for end users as MediaScout fits well with Repligen’s Opus products, which allows customers to use any resin in any format across the pre-packed screening plates and columns.
“This open platform approach is what differentiates us in the marketplace,” she continued. “We can now provide and end-to-end- solution to customers – from resin screening plates - from 50 microliter - used in process development, where Atoll is a market leader, all the way through to larger pre-packed columns.”
Jefferies analyst Brandon Couillard described the deal as a “nice logical bolt-on,” and noted it represents the firm’s first acquisition since adding Refine Technology’s Alternating Tangenital Flow (ATF) to its upstream portfolio in June 2014.
Scientific Advisory Board
Repligen has also strengthened its offerings by forming a scientific advisory board (SAB), the members of which “are some of the most influential and forward-thinking in the bioprocessing space,” Newman said.
This too fits in with Repligen’s strategy to expand its portfolio, she continued.
“We have been on this journey now since 2012. In fact 50% of our revenues in 2015 came from products sold directly to end-users. For perspective, this is an increase from just over 30% in 2012.
“We see ourselves as a key player now in bioprocessing.”
However, she told us, Protein A ligands will continue to be an important part of Repligen’s business, as shown through the recent long term supply agreement extension with GE Healthcare.
