Life Sciences Review: Abzena recognized as Top ADC & AOC CDMO Solution Provider of 2026

The Science and Scale Behind Next-Generation Conjugates

When it comes to developing next-generation modalities like antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs), the partners who are best positioned to advance these programs don’t fit the conventional CDMO model. Building an effective and manufacturable AOC demands specialized expertise, the kind that only comes from decades spent mastering the junction of bioconjugation and antibody design and development. While AOCs build on ADC bioconjugation, oligo payloads introduce a distinct set of challenges that reshape how chemistry, linker selection, and analytical characterization must be approached. That’s why selecting the right development partner at the start of a program is critical to an AOC’s success.

Abzena, a leading global biologic and bioconjugates CRDMO, has spent over 25 years building that expertise, producing over 2,000 bioconjugates,1,400 linker-payloads, and 400 ADCs in the process, an experience base that is unmatched. Its expertise in complex conjugates provides a deep scientific foundation for AOC development, where reproducible conjugation, analytical control and scalable processes are critical to moving candidates toward the clinic.

“Because of that scientific trend and our legacy of being the go-to provider for developing complex conjugates, we have fast become the leader in AOC drug development,” says Geoffrey Glass, Chairman and CEO.

From Concept to Clinic, Under One Roof

Most contract manufacturing organizations join a program after key scientific decisions have been made, inheriting processes they did not make. Abzena enters much earlier.

“We develop products with our customers. We’ve had examples where somebody has brought us an idea, almost on a napkin, and we’ve done everything from antibody humanization, developing the cell line, developing the protein, developing the conjugation platform, making their clinical product and creating the entire CMC package,” says Abzena.

Owning the program from the beginning means every technical decision is made in concert with the same team that will execute it through GMP. A single program manager and technical CMC lead maintains that continuity. This streamlined approach enables emerging and mid‑size biotechs to reach their critical first-in-human inflection point faster, with a durable process for manufacturing their drug candidates. Large pharmaceutical organizations are now commissioning programs to test whether Abzena’s integrated model outpaces their internal teams.

The Science Behind the Results

In developing products that work with our therapeutic partners, scientific depth is essential, but so is a comprehensive view of the pertinent Target Product Profile (TPP) in the appropriate regulatory rubric.  Conjugation is where challenging programs either succeed or fail.  Abzena’s proprietary ThioBridge® linker technology addresses that failure point directly. Active in clinical ADC programs and validated for AOC development, it gives customers a proven conjugation option that avoids the risks of unvalidated chemistry. In addition to Abzena’s proprietary technologies like ThioBridge®, they author Module 3 of the CTA, ensuring submissions reflect the exact science applied rather than a reconstruction of it. This depth of co‑development is supported by over 75 PhD‑level scientists across immunogenicity, cell line development, analytical, process development, QC and GMP manufacturing.

“We’re not just executing the process of developing their material; we’re also helping them navigate the approach for their IND, how they’re going into their regulatory strategy meetings, what data is required, including authoring module three of their CTA. I think that’s something that our clients really appreciate that they can get from us. It makes us more like a co-development partner than what you would normally get from a CDMO or an outsourced provider,” says Glass.

Building Infrastructure for What Comes Next

A key priority for Abzena is helping customers get into the clinic faster. Much of that comes from the integrated platform-driven model the company has built with many of its customers. Once a platform is developed on an initial program, customers can leverage shared elements: the same cell line, the same protein, similar conjugation technology, to move subsequent programs forward quickly. Rather than the typical 15 to 18 months to reach first-in-human, that timeline compresses with each successive program, giving customers more shots on goal across multiple disease states without starting from scratch each time.

Abzena is also targeting timeline and efficiency gains at the manufacturing level. The company continues to invest in its technologies and facilities and is exploring how co-locating protein production and conjugation in the U.S, along with moving toward more contiguous manufacturing processes, can reduce cost of goods and drive faster cycle times for customers so that life-changing medicines can reach patients faster.

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