Abzena, Alira Health and Oncodesign launch DRIVE-Biologics to support access to specialist services from discovery to clinical development for oncology and inflammation

Consortium provides unique integrated solution with specialist services, from biologics discovery to clinical and commercial manufacturing 
 
Cambridge, UK, Framingham, MA (USA), and Dijon, France, February 24, 2022, 6pm CET – Abzena, a partner research organization for integrated services from discovery through to clinical and commercial manufacturing for biologics and bioconjugates, Alira Health, an international patient-centric and technology-enabled advisory firm whose mission is to humanize healthcare, and Oncodesign (ALONC -FR0011766229), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to precision medicine, announce today that, with the launch of DRIVE™-Biologics, they are entering into a consortium to offer their partners synergy and expertise in their biologics drug discovery and development programs.
 
This joint service offering, DRIVE™-Biologics, will leverage Abzena’s strength in design and developability, and cell line development through to commercial manufacturing of biologics, alongside Oncodesign’s pharmacology expertise in oncology and inflammatory diseases, and Alira Health’s full spectrum of services including research and clinical development solutions, technology-powered consulting, and real-world evidence. 
 
There is a growing demand for biologic medicines and expert services to support their development. This unique collaboration, combining industry leadership in fields including design and developability, proof of concept in preclinical pharmacology and pharmaco-imaging, toxicology, and clinical design through to commercial manufacturing, will streamline information sharing and program deliverables to help de-risk biologics development. Partners will be able to access expertise at all stages of the drug discovery and development processes, including design, pre-clinical, clinical and CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control).
 
Campbell Bunce, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Abzena stated: “We are delighted to formalize our relationship with Oncodesign and extend it to Alira Health to bring our partners access to therapeutic innovation. Our shared mission to put patients at the center of all that we do means we are continuing to innovate and drive effective therapies to align to the needs of our partners.” 
 
“We are very proud to collaborate with Oncodesign and Abzena and bring our expertise to the DRIVE™-Biologics consortium, harnessing and leveraging our mutual skills, as we believe it is fundamental to stay close and accompany early-stage companies throughout their development path toward the next-generation medicines,” said Daniela Sica, Vice President, Business Development, Pharma & Biotech at Alira Health.

Fabrice Viviani, Head of Oncodesign Service Business Unit added: “We are particularly thrilled to start this new partnership with Abzena and Alira Health to provide our customers with a premium integrated service for the discovery and development of novel biological agents to treat cancers and debilitating chronic inflammatory diseases. Our common patient-centric derived approaches and technologies will create a one-stop-shop innovative solution with comprehensive advice and customized execution of the whole drug discovery and development processes of biologics.”

About Abzena 
Abzena is a leading partner research organization that offers integrated discovery, development and cGMP manufacture services for biologics and bioconjugates. Abzena provides the most complete set of solutions in integrated early discovery to mid-phase biotherapeutic and bioconjugation drug development and manufacturing in the biopharmaceutical industry. The company maintains resources around the world, with facilities in the US and UK. 
Abzena investors include Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe,one of the world’s leading private equity investors, and Biospring Partners.
www.abzena.com 
 
About Alira Health
Alira Health is an international patient-centric and technology-enabled advisory firm whose mission is to humanize healthcare. We work with healthcare and life sciences organizations looking for support across their entire solutions lifecycle. From development to medical care, we complement our clients’ expertise with a full spectrum of services including research and clinical development solutions, technology-powered consulting, and real-world evidence. 
Our integrated and multidisciplinary team of over 500 scientists, strategists, economists, clinicians and biostatisticians collaborate across our North American, European, and Asian offices and advise 80% of the top 50% of MedTech companies and 75% of the top 50% of Pharma companies.
www.alirahealth.com
 
About Oncodesign 
Oncodesign is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to precision medicine, founded in 1995 by its current CEO and majority shareholder. It has been listed on the Euronext Growth Market since April 2014. Its mission is the discovery of effective therapies to fight cancer and other diseases without therapeutic solutions. With its unique experience acquired by working with more than 1,000 clients, including the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, along with its unique technological platform combining Artificial Intelligence, state-of-the-art medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, regulated bioanalysis and medical imaging, Oncodesign is able to select new therapeutic targets and design and develop potential preclinical candidates through to clinical phases. Oncodesign has configured its organization to offer innovative services to its customers and to license its proprietary molecules. Applied to kinase inhibitors, which represent a market estimated at over $65 billion (€57.3bn) by 2027 and account for almost 25% of the pharmaceutical industry’s R&D expenditure, Oncodesign’s technology has already enabled the targeting of several promising molecules with substantial therapeutic potential, in oncology and elsewhere, along with partnerships with global pharmaceutical groups. Oncodesign is based in Dijon, France, in the heart of the town’s university and hospital hub, and within the Paris-Saclay cluster. Oncodesign has 230 employees within three Business Units (BUs): Service, Biotech, Artificial Intelligence, and subsidiaries in Canada and the USA.
www.oncodesign.com 
 
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