Cambrex ramps up microbial testing with Genolife buy

The move follows its acquisition just days ago of a license to various genetic probe technologies developed by US firm Epoch Biosciences, which will also be used to increase Cambrex' presence in microbiological quality control in the pharmaceutical, food and other industrial sectors. Microbiological testing represents a $2 billion market worldwide, with around 145 million tests conducted every year. Classical microbiological methods (e.g. culture plates) account for approximately 70 per cent of all microbial detection tests.

Genolife, located in Saint Beauzire, is a biotechnology company specialising in a technology that can measure total viable organisms (TVO) in less than 5 hours rather than days or weeks required for other methods of detection.

This faster results has the potential to reduce costs for Cambrex' customers, by quickly confirming product specifications, identifying production problems or contaminated product, and reducing product hold times and product returns.

"Cambrex's endotoxin and mycoplasma detection product lines will be enhanced by the addition of rapid microbial detection technologies provided by the Genolife acquisition and the recently announced Epoch Biosciences license,"​ commented Dave Eansor, president of Cambrex Bioproducts.

Cambrex will also use Genolife's technology internally for in-process testing of its own media, biologics and cell therapy production to cut product costs and cycle times.

Cambrex plans to leverage its existing endotoxin detection sales force for the introduction of the products and services using the Genolife and Epoch technologies. Product and service introductions are expected as early as 2005, it said.

Genolife, founded in 1996 by Franck Chaubron and Bruno Venuat, provides products and services for bacterial, yeast and fungal identification, as well as genetically modified organism (GMO) detection services.

Drs Chaubron and Venuat will remain employees of Genolife.