Bionova Scientific Appoints Bionique Testing Laboratories as Preferred Provider for Mycoplasma Testing Services for Biologics Manufacturing

FREMONT, Calif. and SARANAC LAKE, N.Y., March 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bionova Scientific, a boutique commercial-scale biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced that Bionique Testing Laboratories, a leading Contract Research Organization (CRO), has been appointed as the preferred provider for mycoplasma testing services supporting the efficient manufacturing of biologics. Both are subsidiaries of the global Japanese conglomerate Asahi Kasei Corporation's medical division.

"The collaboration between Bionova and Bionique represents the realization of Asahi Kasei Medical's vision of bringing together best-in-class providers to create an integrated supply chain that enhances safety and improves the efficiency of biotherapeutic manufacturing," said Yusuke Kanazawa, Head of the Asahi Kasei Bioprocess division.

This collaboration follows Bionique Testing Laboratories' expansion announcement last year. The company broke ground in March 2024 on an additional ~35,000 sq. ft. facility space, including ~16,000 sq. ft. of laboratory support space. Completion is expected in early 2025.

"With over 30 years of experience, Bionique has unparalleled expertise in the testing of biologics inclusive of offering the full range of mycoplasma testing methods, from compendial to the novel rapid molecular, as well as having a deep understanding of the CMC testing requirements. When it comes to defining a successful release testing strategy for mycoplasma, they are the authority in the field," says Darren Head, Chairman of Bionova Scientific. 

Asahi Kasei's Medium-Term Management Plan, announced in May 2024, emphasized the role of Bioprocess within the company's larger healthcare strategy. Having acquired Bionova Scientific in 2022, this latest collaboration exemplifies Asahi Kasei's commitment to more broadly strengthening the bioprocess division and healthcare.

"We are very excited to support Bionova Scientific with the release testing of biologics by providing cutting-edge, dependable, and efficient testing solutions through this collaboration," said Gladis Zamparo, CEO of Bionique Testing Laboratories. "Bionova's mantra has been to build the top scientific services to push the boundaries of bioproductivity, and the integration with Bionique further reinforces their stance."

For more information about Bionique Testing Laboratories, visit https://www.bionique.com/.
Additional details on Bionova Scientific can be found at https://www.bionovascientific.com/.

About Asahi Kasei Medical:
Asahi Kasei Life Science aims to contribute to the development of the healthcare industry while further driving the growth of the Health Care sector of the Asahi Kasei Group by providing innovative and exceptionally reliable products and services that enable improved safety, increased productivity, and the stable supply of biotherapeutics. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.com and www.ak-bio.com.

About Bionova Scientific:
Bionova Scientific partners with innovators in the biologic industry to bring life-changing therapies to market. Founded in 2014 and acquired by Asahi Kasei Group in 2022, Bionova Scientific offers customers access to superior tools and technologies and an unwavering commitment to quality delivered with scientific excellence across the entire lifecycle. Bionova offers integrated CDMO services that span cell line development, process development to the cGMP manufacturing of complex proteins and antibodies. Our experienced scientists bring proven expertise to overcoming discovery to first-in-human development challenges and scale-up. Bionova is a flexible and collaborative partner that has worked with leading biotechnology innovators from its new state-of-the-art facility in the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more about Bionova, visit www.bionovascientific.com.  

About Bionique Testing Laboratories:
Bionique is a leading global Contract Research Organization specializing in mycoplasma testing and validation services for the biopharmaceutical and life science industries. Located in Saranac Lake, NY, Bionique partners with industry clients to support their quality control testing needs to ensure the safety and purity of biopharmaceuticals, cell & gene therapies, and vaccines. Bionique is an integral part of the Biosafety Testing Services Unit of Asahi Kasei Bioprocess. To learn more about Bionique, visit www.bionique.com.

Asahi Kasei Inquiries:
Asahi Kasei America
Christian Okeefe
[email protected] 

Bionique Customer Inquiries:
Ken Lavallee, Senior Sales Manager
[email protected]

SOURCE Bionique Testing Laboratories LLC