UGA Biopharma GmbH (UGA), the leading-edge contract development and research organization for biologics and biosimilars, has entered a partnership with US-based Tosoh Bioscience LLC to exchange knowledge on upstream and downstream bioprocessing (USP/DSP) of UGA´s ready-to-use biosimilar cell lines. The partnership, which took effect September 1, 2021, will leverage the two companies’ respective strengths to develop and optimize the bioproduction of UGA’s cell lines.

Tosoh Bioscience will have access to UGA’s library of ready-to-use biosimilar cell lines for its newly created cell culture laboratory in King of Prussia, PA. UGA’s portfolio of cell lines will enable Tosoh Bioscience to express a wide range of mAbs, fusion proteins, and enzymes for biopurification and bioseparation research and applications development. UGA intends to transfer its know-how on upstream development to Tosoh Bioscience and share its knowledge on cell line development. By harnessing UGA’s expertise, Tosoh Bioscience will be able to produce its own biological feedstocks at its King of Prussia facility for internal projects and use.

In return, Tosoh Bioscience’s chromatography experts will develop robust and innovative methods for the purification and characterization of the feedstocks. Through this development process, the company will utilize its latest technologies in process chromatography resins and bioanalytical techniques. UGA plans to make these methods available to its customers. Tosoh Bioscience and UGA plan on presenting the results of the collaboration through various publications, conferences, and other outlets.