Sterling Pharma acquires antibody drug conjugate manufacturer ADC Bio

Sterling Pharma Solutions has acquired ADC Biotechnology (ADC Bio), a bioconjugation development services business based in the UK, which specializes in antibody drug conjugates (ADCs).

The UK-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) had announced in December 2020 that it will make a strategic investment in ADC Bio with an eye on acquiring the latter in the first quarter of 2021.

Based in Deeside, Wales, ADC Bio will rebrand to become part of the international network of Sterling Pharma Solutions. The teams of both the firms will set up a center of excellence for bioconjugation and ADC development and manufacturing services.

Kevin Cook – CEO at Sterling Pharma Solutions said: “We are delighted to confirm the acquisition of the ADC Bio business, this investment provides us with the opportunity to offer a wider portfolio of services to our customers in the fast growing ADC and bioconjugation market, as well as providing additional services to existing ADC Bio customers.

“Integrating our HPAPI capabilities with the expertise already found at Deeside mean that we will also be able to offer the development and manufacture of toxin linkers.  This is an exciting time for both businesses as we embark on a period of growth and diversification to ensure we always stay ahead of the next innovation.”

Sterling Pharma Solutions acquires antibody drug conjugate manufacturer ADC Bio. Photo courtesy of Sterling Pharma Solutions Limited.

Sterling Pharma Solutions will invest in multi-million pounds for supporting the growth of the firm’s ADC capabilities. These include growing and developing the current bioconjugation technical services team and expanding the analytical services team, especially in the cGMP area.

Apart from that, the team will develop and set up cGMP bioconjugation/ADC manufacturing at Deeside next year.

Alan Raymond – Executive Chairman of ADC Bio said: “This is fantastic news for our employees and our customers; targeted investment in both people and processes will allow the team to continue supporting important advances in drug development with additional services, and importantly with the additional support and experience from the Sterling team.”

In September 2020, Sterling Pharma Solutions acquired an API development and manufacturing facility in Wisconsin, US.