Basel, Switzerland 5/16/17—Biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing firm Lonza has purchased Estonia-based HansaBioMed Life Sciences (HBM-LS), a provider of R&D, manufacturing and distribution of products for the exosome research market. HBM-LS has six employees. Financial details were not disclosed. “Exosomes represent a dynamically growing segment in life sciences with opportunities in research, diagnostics and therapeutic applications,” commented Dr. Uwe Gottschalk, chief technology officer at 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.” Lonza stated it will continue to expand HBM-LS’s portfolio of research products and development of cGMP-compliant exome manufacturing processes. Lonza also announced a strategic investment in Italian firm Exosomics Siena, which is developing early-stage cancer screening and molecular diagnostic tests based on exosomes.

The acquisition marks Lonza’s commitment to the exosomes market, which it is positioned to access from research through development and manufacturing. Describing exosomes, Behzad Mahdavi, PhD, VP of Strategic Innovation & Alliances at Lonza Walkersville, told IBO, “Exosomes are nano-vesicles containing genetic material. They are secreted by almost every cell type and are responsible for cell-to-cell communication as well as modulating cellular immunity. Exosomes are considered to have potential as therapeutic agents, vehicles for drug delivery, diagnostic biomarkers and active agents in consumer care products, making them compatible with current Lonza markets.” A particular focus for Lonza will be exosome production. “As exosomes are released by cells, they are produced during the cell culture process. With Lonza’s capabilities in large-scale cell culture manufacturing, we are well suited to develop the processes needed for commercial-scale production for exosome applications. The HBM-LS expertise is complementary to Lonza’s capabilities and together we look forward to growing and developing the exosome-based applications.”

Asked about Lonza‘s plan to translate this investment in R&D tools for exosome research into business opportunities for exosome therapeutics and diagnostic manufacturing, Dr. Mahdavi told IBO, “This is our long-term goal and was the main reason for this strategic acquisition of HBM-LS. The acquisition of HBM-LS provides Lonza with a knowledgeable team with solid expertise and experience in exosomes that will support our efforts to enter a new, exciting field.”

Dr. Mahdavi stated that most of HBM-LS’s products are self-manufactured and that Lonza that will slowly integrate the business over time, commenting, “It is important to keep the dynamic and entrepreneurship of the team, and support and leverage them gradually with Lonza capabilities and expertise.”