Axol Bioscience, a leading provider of induced pluripotent stem cell technologies for drug discovery and research, has acquired the ophthalmology business of Newcells Biotech.
The acquisition of Newcastle-based Newcells’ ophthalmology business includes its specialist team, facilities and intellectual property related to supply of proprietary iPSC-derived products and ophthalmology research services to biopharma, biotechnology and CRO customers across Europe and the US.
The news follows Cambridge-based Axol’s recent $2.8m financing, led by US life sciences investor BroadOak Capital Partners, which is supporting expansion of its US commercial operations, product development and manufacturing scale-up.
Liam Taylor, CEO of Axol Bioscience, said: “Following our recent financing and continued strong revenue growth, we are executing on a clear strategy to scale Axol internationally and deepen our scientific capabilities.
“The addition of Newcells’ retinal organoid business is our third acquisition in five years and significantly enhances our ophthalmology offering, combining complementary expertise and intellectual property to create the most comprehensive independent portfolio of iPSC-derived retinal models globally.”