Ascend Expands US Presence with EW Healthcare Investment

In a strategic move to bolster its capabilities in the US, Ascend Advanced Therapies, a gene-to-GMP development partner, has entered into a partnership with EW Healthcare Partners. This collaboration includes the integration of Advanced BioScience Laboratories (ABL), a biotherapy and viral vector contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) into Ascend as a means to enhance their service offerings and expand infrastructure investment. EW Healthcare Partners will also infuse significant capital support to fuel Ascend's growth. Ascend views this merger as aligning with more than three decades of development and manufacturing expertise with further capacity for GMP adeno-associated virus (AAV) production and fill/finish capacities in the US market. This integration not only deepens Ascend's expertise but also strengthens its standing as a comprehensive R&D to commercial supplier. EW Healthcare Partners has expressed enthusiasm about the merger, highlighting the combined entity's scalability and strategic alignment with long-term goals in the advanced therapies manufacturing domain. The merger aligns with Ascend's active expansion, evidenced by recent investments in Florida and Germany aimed at increasing GMP and process development capacities.