CrownBio Acquires OcellO B.V. to Expand Its Preclinical In Vitro Drug Development Service Offerings

Acquisition augments CrownBio’s preclinical in vitro service platforms, adding high content imaging and advanced tumor organoid analytics to three-dimensional immuno-oncology drug assays

San Diego, California, May 5, 2021 – Crown Bioscience (CrownBio), a JSR Life Sciences company and leader in preclinical services that help biopharmaceutical companies accelerate new drug development programs, has acquired OcellO B.V., a privately owned contract research organization located in the Netherlands. Through the acquisition, CrownBio will expand its portfolio of in vitro services, integrating OcellO’s expertise in high content imaging alongside CrownBio’s in vitro and in vivo screens and immunotherapy assessment services. Financial terms are not being disclosed.

“CrownBio and OcellO believe that the key to improving clinical research success is to utilize more patient-relevant models and assays that can generate reliable efficacy data as early as possible in the drug development process,” said Armin Spura, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of CrownBio. “This acquisition brings together the complementary strengths of our two companies, enhancing our in vitro services portfolio and offering customers the ability to better evaluate multiple drug combinations and targets, across a wider range of tumor and cancer types, with improved predictability and clinical relevance moving from in vitro to in vivo phases of drug discovery.”

The acquisition establishes CrownBio as the only global source licensed to offer customers specialized Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB) for drug development programs. Under the terms of the agreement, Leo Price, PhD, OcellO’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, will join CrownBio as Senior Vice President, In Vitro, to lead the Company’s in vitro business in the US and Europe.

“I am delighted to join CrownBio and help grow the company’s in vitro portfolio,” said Dr. Price. “We will continue our shared heritage of innovation and dedication to customer service to serve complex needs in early-stage cancer drug development. Our combined expertise is particularly suited for disease-relevant large-scale screening, allowing our customers to evaluate multiple drug combinations in a rapid, scientifically rigorous, and cost-effective way.”

About Crown Bioscience

Crown Bioscience, a JSR Life Sciences company, is a global drug discovery and development service company providing translational platforms to advance oncology, immuno-oncology and inflammation. With an extensive portfolio of relevant models and predictive tools, Crown Bioscience enables clients to deliver superior clinical candidates. For more information, visit: www.crownbio.com

About OcellO B.V.

OcellO is a leading provider of compound testing services using advanced organotypic human tissue models of cancer, inflammation, and polycystic kidney disease. Automated 3D cell culture is combined with high content 3D imaging and analysis in a robust platform that provides scalability without compromising biological complexity. Cancer drug discovery services utilize organoids, PDX- derived tumoroids and patient tumor-derived models representing most solid tumor types and incorporating different components of the immune system.