French connection: Vaccine biomanufacturing service providers Accinov and Biodextris merge
Accinov is based in the Lyonbiopôle—the biocluster of the Rhône-Alpes region in France, whilst Biodextris is a Canadian CRO based in Laval, Québec.
Through the deal, the two companies will be able to access each other’s clients as well as provide more comprehensive clinical services.
Stéphanie Colloud, Accinov CEO told Outsourcing-Pharma.com “Biodextris has a strong expertise in vaccines,” and that “[the Biodextris] CDO offer is dedicated to vaccines & biologics, fully complementary to Accinov’s offer.”
Swapping services
Accinov’s current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) biomanufacturing facilities house 24 R&D labs and cleanrooms, as well as three ISO GMP pilot units. The firm’s focus is pharmaceutical quality assurance services.
Biodextris will provide process development, analytical development and cGMP quality control testing services.
Target clients include up to 15 companies in total with three developing experimental therapies, many of which are French biotechs.
Examples include Maat Pharma, a French startup making autologous biotherapies for the microbiome imbalances, and Bioxis Pharmaceuticals, which is working on injectable biopolymers for drug delivery.
Colloud told us “the ‘Do it Yourself Biomanufacturing’ model proposed by Accinov is a specially tailored for biopharma companies developing innovative drugs & breakthrough technology,” adding, “these companies have a strong strategic interest not to sub-contract their biomanufacturing.”
This can be to avoid risk to their IP, or they simply “have difficulties to find a classical CDMO offer perfectly suited to their needs,” said Colloud.
Vaccine Biomanufacturing
Accinov’s president, Andree DuPont, was appointed in July and previously worked in vaccine development at Sanofi Pasteur.
CEO Colloud added: “Of course, we have strong relationships with Sanofi Pasteur & the pharmaceutical leader has already several hosted projects in Accinov.”
As it turns out, Accinov’s customers are mainly focused on vaccines development, viral vectors and emerging fields (e.g. microbiome therapeutics)—“without forgetting that we have also recombinant protein or monoclonal antibody manufacturing requests.”
Geographically, Colloud explained the Québec connection allowed them to “address the US market for Accinov, and the European [market] for Biodextris.”
