Orion and Abzena Collaboration Highlights Integrated Antibody Manufacturing Advances

A new license agreement announced on Oct. 23, 2025 between Abzena and Orion gives the latter access to one of Abzena’s monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in a move that strengthens Orion’s oncology research and development portfolio (1). The agreement reflects an increasingly collaborative trend in biopharmaceutical innovation (2).

The licensed antibody, which originated from Abzena’s Cambridge, UK, research facility, targets a cancer type with significant unmet medical need, expanding Orion’s capabilities in biologic drug development. The antibody was created using Abzena’s Composite Human Antibody (CHAb) technology, a platform that integrates structural, functional, and manufacturability assessments early in development to identify candidates with reduced downstream risk. Scientists at Abzena screened multiple antibody variants for functionality, safety, and production efficiency before selecting a lead molecule that could progress through clinical and manufacturing stages with greater predictability (1).

“We are delighted to have partnered with Orion on the design and development of our CHAb-designed mAb to support their extensive oncology-focused research and development pipeline,” said Campbell Bunce, chief scientific officer, Abzena, in a company press release (1). “Using our uniquely integrated developability approach along with our streamlined AbZelectPRO CLD [cell-line development] platform, we were able to design a de-risked lead antibody that offers Orion’s program the best chances of success in the clinic.”

To support clinical readiness, Abzena applied its AbZelectPRO cell-line development system to generate a stable and high-yield manufacturing cell line. According to the company, this system enables scalable and consistent production, helping to reduce technical uncertainties that often arise when biologic candidates transition from discovery to process development.

Why is integrated developability gaining importance in biologics manufacturing?

The collaboration underscores a growing industry shift toward integrated developability assessments—combining molecular engineering, cell line optimization, and manufacturability considerations from the earliest stages of antibody design. For companies like Orion, such integration offers a way to accelerate timelines while maintaining product quality and regulatory confidence (1).

Abzena’s approach represents how contract development and manufacturing organizations are evolving to provide end-to-end solutions that minimize project risk and variability. By merging discovery expertise with scalable biomanufacturing capabilities, the company aims to reduce attrition rates and improve the clinical success probability of biologic programs.

“We are very satisfied with the excellent and transparent collaboration and the results it has delivered in our common antibody program,” said Antti Haapalinna, vice-president, External Science and Partnering, R&D, Orion, in the press release.

What are the broader implications for biopharmaceutical development?

For the biopharmaceutical industry, the Orion–Abzena collaboration highlights the growing dependence of global drug developers on specialized partners to address the increasing complexity of modern biologics. mAbs continue to dominate the therapeutic landscape, yet their design and production demand advanced capabilities in molecular characterization and cell line development (3,4).

With facilities in Cambridge, UK, San Diego, Calif., and Bristol, Pa., Abzena provides early discovery through current good manufacturing practice production at scales up to 2000 liters. These offerings enable partners to bridge discovery and manufacturing without transferring projects across multiple vendors, the company stated in its release (1). For Orion, a company with an expanding oncology pipeline, this collaboration may streamline development from laboratory to clinical testing, reinforcing its position in next-generation cancer therapeutics.

As biologics pipelines continue to diversify, the integration of proprietary antibody platforms and scalable manufacturing systems will be essential for maintaining efficiency and quality in drug development. Partnerships like this illustrate how technical alignment between discovery and manufacturing can accelerate the path to clinical readiness and ultimately support faster delivery of novel cancer therapies to patients (1).

References

1. Abzena. Orion and Abzena Announce Exclusive Commercial License for Abzena’s Antibody. Press Release. Oct. 23, 2025.
2. 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
3. DrugPatentWatch. The Future of Biologics: ‘Bio-Betters’ and the Dawn of Next-Generation Therapies. Blog post, drugpatentwatch.com, Aug. 25, 2025.
4. DelveInsight Business Research. Biologics Drug Substance Manufacturing—Market Insights, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast—2032. Market Research Report. 2024.