Wheeler Bio, a CDMO specializing in process development and small batch cGMP production of therapeutic antibodies, closed a $31 million Series A financing round to support its clinical drug substance manufacturing facility in Oklahoma City. Company officials say Wheeler is focused on changing the paradigm for the gene-to-IND supply chain.
The company’s primary service offering, Portable CMC™, is an open-source chemistry, manufacturing, and controls middleware that delivers speed, efficiency, predictability, and freedom to operate by integrating discovery CROs and CDMOs to bridge the translational gap, according to Jesse McCool, PhD, co-founder and CEO at Wheeler Bio.
Full complement of integrated development services
Portable CMC includes a full complement of integrated development services, including manufacturability assessments, stable pool and clone development, process and analytical method development, process demonstration, and technology transfer into CGMP production, explained McCool, who added that the platform enhances key business integrations that speed up the translational steps for their clients while lowering technical, regulatory, and business risks.
The company will use the Series A funds to complete its CGMP cell banking and drug substance manufacturing facility (500 L scale) in The Ziggurat, a downtown Oklahoma City office tower. The first CGMP production batches in the new facility are expected to begin in Q3 of this year.
“Our platform reduces risk by enhancing product and process knowledge gained using well-integrated tools, technologies, and digital solutions like Leap-In Transposase®, Solentim®, Ambr® Microbioreactors, DynaDrive Single-Use Bioreactors, the Synthace Experiment Platform, and DataHowLab,” said Brian Berquist, PhD, chief development officer.
