Dr. Glenn Haifer and Ampersand Capital Partners Acquire Australian Biologics CDMO Luina Bio, Rebranding as AcuraBio

BRISBANE, Australia, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AcuraBio (formerly Luina Bio), a leading Australian biopharmaceutical CDMO, has been acquired by biotech investor Dr. Glenn Haifer and Ampersand Capital Partners, a global healthcare private equity firm.

With more than two decades of experience, AcuraBio is a globally focussed organization bringing innovative therapeutics to market for customers in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and animal health industries. AcuraBio provides recombinant proteins and vaccines, and complex live biotherapeutic products to customers on the leading edge in emerging therapeutics.

The rebranding of the company signifies an innovative new growth phase for AcuraBio. As part of the transaction, Dr. Haifer and Ampersand are bringing significant investment to the company, with a focus on expanding the organization to better serve customers. To fuel additional growth, AcuraBio is planning to increase production facility capacity, and is actively evaluating expansion into new service offerings and technological capabilities.

Dr. Haifer brings a wealth of experience to AcuraBio, as the former company Chairman and investor behind Australian biotech successes such as Agilex Biolabs and Avance Clinical. "We are very excited to be reinventing a company with such deep scientific experience," said Dr. Haifer. "With our deep expertise and commitment to further investment, AcuraBio will be a leader in the APAC region for international biopharma clients attracted by the technology, scientific excellence, and innovation we will bring to the platform. I am excited to leverage Ampersand's industry expertise as we take AcuraBio to the next level."

Based in the US and with more than $3 billion of assets under management, Ampersand is exclusively focused on growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. Ampersand has previously partnered with leading CDMOs such as Brammer Bio, ArrantaBio, Vibalogics, and Genezen, and the firm is a highly experienced investor in the emerging therapeutics CDMO industry. David Anderson, General Partner at Ampersand, said "AcuraBio is strategically positioned in Australia to support international biopharma drug development. Australia has a strong reputation for clinical and scientific excellence which is the foundation to success for a company like AcuraBio. We are extremely pleased to be working with Dr. Haifer, who is a proven biotech investor and growth strategist with a real focus on client-centric service innovations."

AcuraBio Pty Ltd is one of Australia's most experienced biopharmaceutical CDMOs, offering trusted, client-focused services to both domestic and international clients for the past 20 years. AcuraBio offers significant quality, cost, and IP assurances for biopharma companies around the world. World-class researchers and proven facilities, a streamlined regulatory framework, generous tax incentives, and government funding make Australia a prime location for biotech research. AcuraBio has the following operating licenses: TGA (Australian FDA equivalent) license for the manufacture of human therapeutic APIs from biological and synthetic sources, APVMA (veterinary equivalent of the TGA) license for manufacture of sterile immunobiological products, OGTR license to produce products from genetically modified organisms, and a DAF facility license for import and use of biologic materials. Additional information about AcuraBio is available at www.acurabio.com.

Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm with more than $3 billion of assets under management dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston and Amsterdam, Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience in seeking to build value and drive strong long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm's core healthcare sectors. Additional information about Ampersand is available at www.ampersandcapital.com.

Media Contact
[email protected]

SOURCE AcuraBio