AbCellera Named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2020

March 10, 2020

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – AbCellera, the antibody company, has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2020 for its drug discovery platform that can search and analyze natural immune systems to deliver best-in-class antibody drugs. By innovating at every step of the discovery process, AbCellera’s team has repeatedly proven its ability to unlock novel targets, including those previously considered ‘undruggable’ due to technical challenges associated with antibody generation. AbCellera is transforming the field of biologics, generating first-in-class drugs through partnerships with pharma and biotech companies and reducing timelines to advance new programs towards the clinic. 

Fast Company’s list honors the businesses making the most profound impact on both industry and society, showcasing a variety of ways to thrive in today’s fast-changing world. An example of how AbCellera’s innovative approach is being used to address real-world challenges is its response to the current coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak that causes COVID-19. AbCellera is leading a team of industry experts in the Pandemic Prevention Platform (P3) program, a DARPA initiative to establish a robust technology platform for pandemic response capable of developing field-ready medical countermeasures within 60 days of isolation of an unknown viral pathogen. As part of this program, AbCellera is working on discovering SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies that could ultimately be deployed to stop transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.  

“The big problem we set out to solve is clear: we need to bring better treatments to patients faster,” said Dr. Carl Hansen, CEO of AbCellera. “AbCellera was founded on the belief that the solution to this problem lies in technology.  We innovate and integrate state-of-the-art technologies across multiple disciplines, from AI and genomics to big data and single cell analysis, to build a platform that can tackle the toughest drug discovery challenges.” 

Natural immune responses generate billions of potential antibodies and are the best source for discovery of new antibody therapeutics.  Leveraging big data and a suite of proprietary technologies compatible with any natural immune source, AbCellera’s discovery campaigns are performed at a scale that leaves no stone unturned, resulting in large panels of curated antibody candidates. AbCellera’s core technology is a high-throughput microfluidic platform that uses miniaturized assays to screen antibodies from millions of individual immune cells from any species, including directly from human donors. Combined with Celium™, AbCellera’s powerful antibody visualization and exploration software, the platform can search and analyze natural immune systems with unmatched speed and depth to deliver diverse sets of high-quality antibody drug candidates. Through collaborations with its partners, AbCellera applies its technology to generate therapeutic candidates for unmet needs in a wide range of disease areas including, cancer, neurodegeneration, pain, fibrosis, and metabolic disorders. 

“At a time of increasing global volatility, this year’s list showcases the resilience and optimism of businesses across the world. These companies are applying creativity to solve challenges within their industries and far beyond,” said Fast Company senior editor Amy Farley, who oversaw the issue with deputy editor David Lidsky. 

About AbCellera Biologics Inc.

AbCellera is a privately held company that engages in partnerships to discover and develop next-generation therapeutic antibodies. AbCellera’s single-cell platform integrates end-to-end capabilities for therapeutic antibody discovery through a unique combination of technologies including proprietary immunizations, microfluidics, high-throughput imaging, genomics, deep computation, artificial intelligence, and laboratory automation. Ultra-deep screening of single B cells allows unprecedented access to natural immune responses, enabling rapid isolation of large and diverse panels of high-quality lead antibodies from any species, including humans. For more information, visit www.abcellera.com

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Since 2011, Fast Company has received some of the most prestigious editorial and design accolades, including the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) National Magazine Award for “Magazine of the Year,” Adweek’s Hot List for “Hottest Business Publication,” and six gold medals and 10 silver medals from the Society of Publication Designers. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta and the publisher is Amanda Smith. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.

 

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AbCellera Contacts: 

Jessica Yingling, Ph.D., media@abcellera.com +1.858.344.8091 (Media)

Kevin Heyries, Ph.D., bd@abcellera.com, +1.604.559.9005 (Business Development)