Company History

Abzena incorporates the businesses of Antitope, PacificGMP, PolyTherics, The Chemistry Research Solution (TCRS) and Warwick Effect Polymers, all of which now trade as Abzena.

2001 – PolyTherics founded by Imperial College London & the School of Pharmacy, University of London (now part of University College, London). The founding scientists were Steve Brocchini and Sunil Shaunak

2001 – Warwick Effect Polymers founded by David Haddleton as a spin-out from the University of Warwick

2004 – Antitope founded by Matt Baker and Frank Carr offering specialist immunogenicity and protein deimmunisation services

2005 – PacificGMP founded by Leigh and Gary Pierce

2009 – TCRS founded by Naresh Jain and Michael Kirkup

2012 – PolyTherics acquires Warwick Effect Polymers adding low viscosity polymers for half-life extension to its offering

2013 – PolyTherics acquires Antitope

2014 – Abzena plc formed as the group holding company and lists on London Stock Exchange AIM market raising £20 million

2014 – Abzena relocates its headquarters from London to Cambridge (UK)

September 2015 – Abzena acquires PacificGMP in San Diego (US) adding process development and GMP manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals for clinical studies

December 2015 – Abzena acquires TCRS in Bristol near Philadelphia (US) adding chemistry services including antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) manufacturing and raises £20 million in a private placement

2018 – Abzena acquired by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, one of the world’s leading private equity investors and delists from AIM.

October 2020 – Abzena invests $60m into cGMP manufacturing capacity with the opening of 50,000 sqft ‘Lusk’ facility for late phase and commercial cGMP manufacturing.

November 2020 – Abzena upgrades GMP chemistry and conjugation suites to allow Phase III and commercial manufacturing.

2022 – Abzena announces opening of new biologics GMP manufacturing site with up to 12 X 2000L bioreactors.