AbCellera

AbCellera is a Canadian biotechnology company based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

AbCellera grew out of the idea that single-cell microfluidics and next-generation technologies can radically change how we discover drugs. But this isn’t just about having advanced technology. It comes from building a world-class group of innovators.

Our multidisciplinary team of cell biologists, biochemists, engineers, data scientists, machine learning experts, and business professionals is working on some of the toughest areas of disease. We push the limits of antibody discovery to help partners tackle the world’s most urgent medical challenges.

Our impact is measured by the success of our partners and the advancement of antibody therapies. We are motivated by the feeling that our days are being well spent. That our work really matters.¹⁾

AbCellera has partnered with a notable assortment of pharmaceutical companies and other interests, including Ablynx, Autolus Therapeutics, Denali Therapeutics, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, IGM Biosciences, Kodiak Sciences, Lyell, Merck, Sanofi, and Teva.²⁾

The company is best known for its leading role in the Pandemic Prevention Platform, a project of DARPA's Biological Technologies Office.

Subsidiaries: TetraGenetics, Inc., AbCellera Australia Pty Ltd.,

In November 2016, AbCellera received a $645,000 USD grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a test for tuberculosis.³⁾ The company received a second grant in January 2022 to “identify potent anti-RSV monoclonal antibodies to protect infants in low and middle income countries from RSV infection morbidity and mortality.”⁴⁾

In January 2017, AbCellera announced that it would be collaborating with Pfizer to “apply its proprietary monoclonal antibody (mAb) screening platform to attempt to discover function-modulating antibodies against undisclosed membrane protein targets.”^{5) 6)}

In February 2019, AbCellera announced “a multi-target, multi-year deal with Novartis, to identify antibodies for ten therapeutic targets in Novartis’ pipeline, using a unique combination of microfluidics, high-throughput imaging, genomics, deep computing and AI.”⁷⁾

In 2018, AbCellera received US$30.6 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to lead one of four research groups aimed at developing antibody treatments for pandemics.^{8) 9) 10)}

In June 2020, AbCellera announced it had begun the world's first study of a potential antibody treatment against COVID-19, with a Phase 1 trial of LY-CoV555 (Bamlanivimab), in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company.¹¹⁾ The drug was granted an Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November 2020, and subsequently renewed in February and March 2021.^{12) 13)}

The EUA was revoked in April 2021, with the FDA citing an updated conclusion that “the known and potential benefits of bamlanivimab alone no longer outweigh the known and potential risks for the product,” because of significantly reduced efficacy against emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.¹⁴⁾

A second COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy (Bebtelovimab) was given Emergency Use Authorization in February 2022, with the U.S. Government committing to a $720 million purchase of up to 600,000 doses.¹⁵⁾

Mr. Karp is one of our co-founders and has served in various positions with us since co-founding Palantir, most recently as our Chief Executive Officer, and has served as a member of our Board of Directors since 2003. Mr. Karp holds a B.A. from Haverford College, a J.D. from Stanford Law School, and a Ph.D. from Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.

Mr. Moore has served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2020. Mr. Moore initially joined us in February 2005 as one of the founding employees and served as our director of operations until March 2010. In February 2013, Mr. Moore co-founded NodePrime, a cloud automation company, where he served as Chief Operating Officer until its acquisition by Ericsson in April 2016. In May 2017, he joined 8VC, a venture capital fund, where he currently serves as partner. Mr. Moore holds a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University.

Ms. Schiff has served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2020. Ms. Schiff worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal from June 2004 to March 2005 and April 2013 to June 2020. From 2006 to 2009, she served as a staff writer and then contributing editor at Condé Nast Portfolio, a magazine that was formerly part of Condé Nast, a global media company. She has written for publications including The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Bloomberg Businessweek. She is currently working on her second book for Simon & Schuster. Ms. Schiff holds a B.A. in English from Duke University.

Mr. Cohen is one of our co-founders and has served in various positions with us since co-founding Palantir, most recently as our President and Secretary, and as a member of our Board of Directors since 2005. Mr. Cohen holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University.

Mr. Thiel is one of our co-founders and has served as the Chairman of our Board of Directors since 2003. He has served as president of Thiel Capital, an investment firm, since 2011 and as a partner of Founders Fund, a venture capital firm, since 2005. In 1998, Mr. Thiel co-founded PayPal, Inc., an online payment company, where he served as Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chairman of its Board of Directors from 2000 until its acquisition by eBay in 2002. Mr. Thiel has served on the board of directors of AbCellera Biologics Inc., a biotechnology company, since 2020, and previously served on the board of directors of Meta Platforms, Inc., a technology company, from 2005 to 2022. Mr. Thiel holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Stanford University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Ms. Stat has served as a member of our Board of Directors since January 2021. Ms. Stat brings a wide range of business and leadership experience, including 15 years of experience at Accenture, from October 2005 to January 2021, where she served as a senior advisor to Fortune 100 companies, helping her clients develop new strategies, optimize operations, and manage large-scale change. During her tenure at Accenture, she developed deep healthcare expertise and held multiple roles, including leadership of sales pursuits, management of global operations, and responsibility for the growth and profitability of a segment of business.

Ms. Stat has served on the board of directors of The Lorelton, a non-profit retirement and assisted living facility since December 2021 and Tree3, a startup empowering influencers to curate a storefront from millions of products across stores and allow their followers to purchase from a single shopping cart since January 2022, and has served as Chairwoman of the board of directors of Valkyrie, a company that builds AI solutions since September 2022. Ms. Stat served as an Executive in Residence for Notley, a social impact community and venture organization, from June 2021 to June 2022, and has served as Fractional Chief Administration Officer and Advisor at Friendly Force, a satellite communications technology company, since December 2021, and Managing Member and Chief Executive Officer of Figa Jewelry since July 2022. She holds a B.S. in Science, Technology, and Society with a dual concentration in Math and Chemistry from Stanford University.

Mr. Woersching has served as a member of our Board of Directors since June 2022. Mr. Woersching currently serves as a private consultant for early stage software companies, where he focuses on corporate strategy, FP&A, analytics, operations and executive recruiting. From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Woersching served as the Vice President of Revenue Operations at EasyPost, where he was responsible for analytics, operations and corporate strategy, and Senior Advisor to the CEO, where he focused on corporate development, M&A and fundraising. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Woersching was a general partner at Initialized Capital, a venture capital firm, where he served on the board of directors of several private technology companies. He holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.¹⁶⁾

Peter Thiel joins board of antibody therapy developer AbCellera

Reuters - November 19, 2020

(Reuters) - Billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel has joined AbCellera Biologics Inc’s board of directors, the Canadian antibody therapy developer said on Thursday.

Thiel, who has backed several startups as they went public, is an existing investor in AbCellera. He joins the startup’s board a couple of months after Reuters reported that it had hired investment banks for a U.S. initial public offering, which could come this year.

AbCellera has been working with Eli Lilly and Co LLY.N to develop a treatment for the novel coronavirus.

Thiel is known for his early investments in Facebook FB.O and co-founding electronic payment service provider Paypal Inc PYPL.O. In September, he took data analytics firm Palantir Technologies Inc PLTR.N public through a direct-listing.¹⁷⁾

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