Private equity group and biotech investor acquire Australian CDMO, rebrand it as AcuraBio
Dr Haifer was the former chairman of Australian biotech firms Agilex Biolabs and Avance Clinical. Based in the US and with more than US$3bn in assets under management, Ampersand has partnered with CDMOs such as Brammer Bio, ArrantaBio, Vibalogics, and Genezen.
AcuraBio has expertise in the areas of recombinant proteins, whole cell vaccines, viral vaccines, live biotherapeutics and synthetic molecules for preclinical, Phase I to III human clinical trials, and commercial veterinary products for clients both within Australia and in the US, New Zealand, and Asia.
Capacity expansion
The rebranding of the company signifies an innovative new growth phase for AcuraBio, explained the new owners. They outlined how, as part of the deal, they will invest further in the CDMO, with a focus on expanding the organization. To fuel additional growth, the idea is to increase AcuraBio’s production facility capacity, and enable it to potentially move into new service offerings and technological capabilities.
The company has multiple operating licenses including TGA (Australian FDA equivalent) license for the manufacture of human therapeutic APIs from biological and synthetic sources, APVMA (veterinary equivalent of the TGA) license for manufacture of sterile immunobiological products, OGTR license to produce products from genetically modified organisms, and a DAF facility license for import and use of biologic materials.
David Anderson, general partner at Ampersand, said AcuraBio is strategically positioned in Australia to support international biopharma drug development. World-class researchers and proven facilities, a streamlined regulatory framework, generous tax incentives, and government funding make Australia a prime location for biotech research, added the investors.
