Asimov, Ottimo Pharma Enter Cell Line Development Partnership

Asimov, a synthetic biology company, entered a cell line development partnership with Ottimo Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company developing PD1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibodies to extend the lives of people living with cancer. 

The collaboration centered on cell line development for Ottimo’s lead program, OTP-01, a PD1/VEGFR2 dual pathway antibody. Asimov has delivered a high-titer, stable CHO cell line ahead of schedule to support an IND submission planned for late 2025.

Asimov began working with Ottimo on an accelerated bespoke cell line development program to deliver the desired quality attributes and expression levels for OTP-01 earlier this year. Leveraging its CHO Edge system, which uses data-driven models for molecule-specific expression optimization, Asimov delivered a high-titer, stable CHO cell line.

Alec Nielsen, co-founder and CEO at Asimov, said, “By supporting leading drug developers like Ottimo with our integrated suite of cells, genetic tools, AI models, and software, we are demonstrating the power of engineered biology to enable the development of breakthrough therapies.”

“Asimov has been an exceptional partner throughout this process, not only delivering a high-performance cell line for a novel therapeutic architecture on an accelerated timeline, but also supporting tech-transfer into GMP manufacturing,” said Spencer Fisk, Chief Technical & Quality Officer at Ottimo Pharma. “We’ve been so impressed with Asimov’s capabilities and collaborative approach that we see this as the foundation for a long-term partnership should we advance additional assets that can leverage their CHO Edge system.”