Rebrands for AMRI and Arcinova

Two pharmaceutical CDMOs, AMRI in the US and UK-based Arcinova, have almost simultaneously announced full corporate rebranding exercises. The former has become Curia, which is derived from a Latin word for ‘purposeful assembly’, as of 12 July, while the latter is taking the name Quotient Sciences – Alnwick.

AMRI said that this “reinforces the company’s strategic positioning as an end-to-end global CDMO, applying its scientific expertise and extensive capabilities from R&D through to commercial manufacturing to enable its pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers to advance important new products that improve lives”. It is also changing its website address to www.curiaglobal.com.

In the following few days, Curia acquired Integrity Bio, a formulation and fill-finish company headquartered in Camarillo, California, and LakePharma, a biologics drug discovery, clinical research, development and manufacturing firm with operations in California, Massachusetts and Texas.  Terms were not disclosed in either deal, but they were both integral to the rebrand, reflecting a move beyond the traditional focus on small molecules.

CEO John Ratliff said that Integrity Bio was “a great fit with our growth strategy and our existing expertise, enhancing our biologics drug product formulation development as well as our fill-finish network”. Integrity also brings a West Coast coverage to Curia’s largely East Coast presence. It has facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Burlington, Massachusetts; and Glasgow in Scotland.

LakePharma brings with it the technology platforms of cell-line development, bioexpression systems and viral vector production systems, plus relationships 22 of the top 25 global biopharmaceutical companies. Its six facilities and 235 employees will join with Curia’s 21 sites and over 3,100 employees to offer clients a end-to-end services in drug discovery, formulation and process development as well as drug substance and drug product clinical and commercial manufacturing. 

Arcinova’s change of name, meanwhile, reflects its acquisition by the Nottingham-based drug development and manufacturing accelerator Quotient Sciences in February 2021. The site at Alnwick is active in drug substance manufacture, isotope labelling, bioanalysis and drug product development, and is part of Quotient’s goal of providing end-to-end development services.