Abzena, Revvity, and ProteoNic Advance Biomanufacturing with New Cell Line Platforms

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Abzena expanded its AbZelectPRO cell line development platform earlier in September 2025 to add two new glutamine synthetase (GS) knockout Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO-K1) expression systems. Named AbZelectPRO-KO and AbZelectPRO-KO+, the updated platforms are designed to increase speed, scalability, and flexibility in therapeutic protein production, according to Abzena in a company press release (1).

The development of these new platforms addresses a long-standing need in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, namely, improving expression efficiency while providing adaptable solutions for complex protein modalities. With the growing pipeline of biologics and advanced therapies in the biopharmaceutical industry, cell line platforms that reduce development time and increase productivity play a critical role in accelerating the pathway from discovery to clinical evaluation (2).

“These new GS knockout cell lines to our AbZelectPRO CLD [cell line development] platform is a powerful combination that truly sets a new standard of excellence,” said Campbell Bunce, chief scientific officer, Abzena, in the Sept. 15, 2025 press release (1). “We are thrilled to offer such a robust, scalable, and state-of-the-art offering to support … therapeutic antibodies and difficult-to-express proteins.”

What technologies are being integrated with Abzena’s platform?

The expanded platform integrates Revvity’s CHOSOURCE GS knockout expression systems with ProteoNic Bioscience’s 2G UNic vector technology, both of which Abzena licensed in partnership with the two companies (3). This combination has demonstrated the ability to accelerate the timeline from DNA to research cell banks to as little as 10 weeks, while achieving titers of up to 10 g/L (1).

Pairing expression systems with vector optimization tools offers a more robust workflow that can strengthen the link between cell-line engineering and downstream manufacturing efficiency. Such integration reflects broader trends in the biopharma industry, where collaborations between technology developers are shaping more streamlined and reproducible approaches to biologics production (4).

“ProteoNic’s technology boosts productivity in CHOSOURCE and other cell lines and strengthens the value of this offering,” said Frank Pieper, CEO, ProteoNic, in the release.

These performance improvements offer biopharmaceutical developers and manufacturers the ability to achieve greater manufacturing reliability and reduced cost of goods, both of which are critical for scaling complex biologics.

What impact do these enhanced cell-line development technologies have on biopharma development?

Revvity’s CHOSOURCE GS knockout cell line is already widely established in the industry, with more than 90 investigational new drug applications and four approved drugs referencing its use, according to the press release. The introduction of the double knockout antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity+ platform extends these capabilities by supporting afucosylated protein production, which is increasingly important for therapeutic antibodies designed to enhance immune effector functions.

“Abzena’s new expanded cell-line development platform, inclusive of Revvity’s well-established CHOSOURCE cell lines, directly targets ongoing major challenges … , enhancing productivity and flexibility,” said Bryan Kipp, senior vice-president of Technology and Licensing, Revvity, in the release.

The implications extend beyond individual programs. As the biopharma industry continues to diversify into antibody-based therapies, bispecifics, and next-generation modalities, manufacturing technologies that increase reliability and shorten development cycles are becoming foundational. Flexible cell line platforms also support the industry’s shift toward modular and adaptive manufacturing strategies, ensuring scalability from early stage research through to commercial supply (5).

By combining established cell line systems, advanced vector technologies, and integrated workflows, the expanded AbZelectPRO platform underscores the trend toward collaborative innovation in drug development and manufacturing. These advances offer tangible improvements in both process performance and product development timelines.

References

1. Abzena. Abzena Enhances AbZelectPRO Cell Line Offering with New GS Knockout Platforms. Press Release. Sept. 15, 2025.
2. Tan, K. W.; Ji, P.; Zhou, H.; Zhang, S.; Zhou, W. Further Accelerating Biologics Development From DNA To IND: The Journey from COVID-19 to Non-COVID-19 Programs. Antibody Ther. 2024, 7 (1), 96–104. DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbae001
3. Abzena. Scientific Partners. abzena.com/about/partners (accessed Sept. 22, 2025).
4. Erickson, J.; Baker, J.; Barrett, S.; et al. End-to-End Collaboration to Transform Biopharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2021, 118 (9), 3302–3312. DOI: 10.1002/bit.27688
5. Keen, S. Optimizing Cell Line Development for Next Generation Biologics. BioPharmInternational.com. June 18, 2024.