Per the extended collaboration, I-Mab, a China-based biotech focusing on biologics for immuno-oncology and auto-immune diseases through its R&D capabilities, will use WuXi’s chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) development platform.
I-Mab will tap Hong Kong-based WuXi’s CMC expertise for at least five of its biologics programs, and commercial manufacturing for one program in its monoclonal antibody (mAb), bispecific antibody, and fusion protein pipelines.
Through the 3-year partnership, I-Mab expects to see the acceleration of its pipeline’s development in China and abroad. I-Mab’s president Zheru Zhang said in a statement that the company “will be able to expedite our potential first-in-class and best-in-class biologics to the market to satisfy substantial unmet medical needs with high quality and speed.”
WuXi Biologics stated it will use its business strategy of ‘follow-the-molecule’ in this partnership. A spokesperson for WuXi told us that this strategy focuses on following the customers’ demand for its services to advance biologics through development. This enables WuXi’s revenue to ‘grow geometrically’ while projects advance through the development cycle, they said
Additionally, WuXi stated that the partnership follows its global dual sourcing plan in which its partner selects the facilities from its global supply network in China, the EU, and the US to “ensure their global supply and eliminate the risks of inter-company technology transfer.”