Selexis SA Invests in New Lab Equipment and Personnel

On April 11, 2018, Selexis SA, a biotechnology company specializing in the development and engineering of clonal mammalian research cell banks, announced that it has purchased and installed $2 million in new laboratory equipment and strategically hired additional personnel to support its cell line development services.

The new laboratory equipment will be housed at the company’s laboratory facility and corporate headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates, a suburb of Geneva, Switzerland. Selexis reports that the new employees will support the company in the areas of whole genome sequencing, global business development, production, and operations in the United States, Geneva, and Tokyo.

The company’s investment in new equipment and employees is primarily directed towards the research and development of novel and proprietary technologies that will enable it to deliver high-expressing and stable research cell banks in eight to nine weeks from transfection (currently 14 weeks).

This latest investment follows the company’s acquisition by JSR Corporation in June 2017 and the March 2018 signing of its 100th commercial license agreement, which supports its proprietary SUREtechnology platform. The platform facilitates rapid, stable, and cost-effective production of any recombinant protein. It integrates the biologics development continuum, ranging from discovery to commercialization.

Additionally, the investment expands the company’s capacity to analyze whole genomes using next-generation sequencing methods. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides new insights into the genome organization of any manufacturing mammalian cell line. Data from WGS analysis can be used for safety intelligence during manufacturing campaigns and, in the near future, for regulatory submissions, according to Selexis.

“Our commercial-ready mammalian cell line is helping partners worldwide achieve their objectives with the highest quality and predictability,” said Igor Fisch, PhD, Selexis’ CEO, in a company press release. “The transition of Selexis into JSR’s Life Sciences division last year strengthened our ability to help our partners develop increasingly complex biotherapeutics such as bi-specific proteins, triabodies, DARPins, and novel scaffolds decorated with peptides, to name a few. Additionally, the integration of Selexis with KBI Biopharma, a subsidiary of JSR, allows the production of drug substances for clinical trials in as little as nine months as compared to traditional industry timelines of 16 to 24 months.”

Selexis opened its Plan-les-Ouates corporate headquarters and laboratory facility in May 2017,  tripling its previous capacity, as stated by the company.

Source: Selexis SA