Lonza Invests to Develop Exosomes for Next-Generation Life-Science Applications
Basel, Switzerland – Lonza, a global leader in the field of biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing, announced today the acquisition of HansaBioMed Life Sciences OÜ (HBM-LS), based in Tallinn, Estonia, a start-up company dedicated to the research and development, manufacturing, and distribution of products for the exosomes research market. Lonza has also agreed to make a strategic investment into Exosomics Siena S.p.A. (Exosomics), an Italian start-up company developing exosome-based early-stage cancer screening and molecular diagnostic tests.
Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles released by all living cells in a finely regulated manner. They are found in biological fluids and contain genetic material, proteins and other cellular molecules reflecting the characteristic of their cells of origin. Functioning as nano-bullets with multiple surface receptors for crossing biological barriers, tissue targeting and delivery of bioactive molecules, they have the potential of being developed for various applications in life sciences.
Exosomes’ acknowledged role as effectors in tissue regeneration, immune response and inflammation shows their potential as the next generation of vaccine development, drug delivery and off-the-shelf, cell-free regenerative therapies.
“Exosomes represent a dynamically growing segment in life sciences with opportunities in research, diagnostics and therapeutic applications,” said Dr. Uwe Gottschalk, Chief Technology Officer for Lonza Pharma&Biotech.
“Exosomes may play an important role in the promising field of liquid biopsies and could become the next generation of cell-free therapies in regenerative medicine,” he added.
“With our financial support, technical and commercial expertise, Lonza is well suited to leverage these opportunities through HBM-LS and Exosomics.”
Dr. Antonio Chiesi, managing director of HBM-LS and Chief Executive Officer of Exosomics, said, “The next step in the evolution of exosome technology into diagnostics and therapeutics is the development of larger-scale procedures for isolation, purification and characterization of specific types of exosomes. Cell-culture capabilities are a critical component of this next step. Lonza’s infrastructure and leadership role in bio-manufacturing, combined with our exosome knowledge, will accelerate the availability of these breakthrough modalities.”
As a new part of Lonza, HBM-LS will continue its product portfolio expansion of research products and support the development of cGMP-compliant exosome manufacturing processes. Lonza’s investment in Exosomics will help to support the continued research, development and pre-commercialization of non-invasive, exosome-based liquid biopsy cancer-screening tests.
Behzad Mahdavi, Ph.D., MBA, Vice President of Strategic Innovation & Alliances for Lonza Pharma&Biotech, will be an active member of the Exosomics Board of Directors and will help the company with its strategic market positioning and growth. About Lonza |
| Lonza is one of the world’s leading and most-trusted suppliers to the pharmaceutical, biotech and specialty ingredients markets. It harnesses science and technology to create products that support safer and healthier living and that enhance the overall quality of life.
Not only is Lonza a custom manufacturer and developer, the company also offers services and products ranging from active pharmaceutical ingredients to drinking water sanitizers, from nutritional and personal care ingredients to agricultural products, and from industrial preservatives to microbial control solutions that combat dangerous viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.
Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza today is a well-respected global company with approximately 40 major manufacturing and R&D facilities and more than 10,000 full-time employees worldwide. The company generated sales of CHF 4.13 billion in 2016 and is organized into two market-focused segments: Pharma&Biotech and Specialty Ingredients. Further information can be found at www.lonza.com.
About HansaBioMed Life Sciences HansaBioMed Life Sciences OÜ located in Tallinn, Estonia, is the oldest company entirely dedicated to research and development of products and specialized services in the field of exosome sciences. Our mission is to develop and commercialize proprietary platforms, kits, reagents and equipment for exosomes research in the Life Science market and to support scientists and industries to best develop their MV based projects. HansaBioMed Life Sciences has 6 permanent employees.
About Exosomics Siena The mission of Exosomics Siena S.p.A. is to develop, clinically validate and commercialize proprietary exosomes based cancer diagnostics and precision medicine tools. Exosomics Siena is focused on developing and commercializing revolutionary, biofluid-based diagnostic tools for cancer screening and liquid biopsy to significantly improve early cancer detection and to deliver personalized medicine approaches that are able to improve lives and healthcare sustainability.
Additional Information and Disclaimer Lonza Group Ltd has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (“SGX-ST”). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-ST’s continuing listing requirements but remains subject to Rules 217 and 751 of the SGX-ST Listing Manual.
Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this news release. |
