Strategic Partnership Positioned to Accelerate Antibody-Based Therapeutic Development

A major collaboration between AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL), Viking Global Investors, and ArrowMark Partners marks a significant shift in how biotech companies are built and scaled. The three organizations have joined forces to establish multiple asset-focused companies centered on antibody drug discovery and development, with initial focus on immunology applications.

The partnership structure combines complementary strengths: Viking and ArrowMark will spearhead program identification and market strategy, while AbCellera will leverage its proprietary antibody discovery platform to drive drug development. This model aims to compress the traditional timeline from concept to clinical candidate by integrating investment expertise with advanced technological capabilities.

How the Collaboration Model Works

The operational framework is designed for speed and efficiency. After Viking and ArrowMark select promising therapeutic targets, the parties will jointly define the product profile and establish therapeutic objectives. AbCellera then activates its full suite of in-house capabilities—from antibody engineering through candidate optimization. The biotech platform retains flexibility to manage cGMP manufacturing for Phase 1 readiness.

Successful programs transition into newly created entities (Newcos), with Viking and ArrowMark assuming majority ownership stakes. AbCellera participates as a founding equity partner with rights to potential milestone payments and future royalties on commercialized products. This structure aligns incentives across all stakeholders while distributing risk appropriately.

Why Immunology First?

The initial focus on autoimmune and immunological disorders reflects significant market opportunity. Tony Yao, M.D., Ph.D., Life Science Portfolio Manager at ArrowMark, emphasizes the rationale: “Patients with autoimmune disorders and related conditions represent substantial unmet medical need. AbCellera’s proven track record in antibody therapeutics, combined with its integrated development infrastructure, positions this partnership to deliver solutions at pace.”

Carl Hansen, Ph.D., founder and CEO of AbCellera, frames the collaboration as essential to modern biotech creation: “Building successful pharmaceutical companies requires orchestrated convergence of science, capital deployment, technological platforms, commercial strategy, and specialized talent. Our alliance brings Viking and ArrowMark’s networks and capital strength alongside AbCellera’s proprietary discovery engine—a combination designed to launch differentiated medicines addressing critical patient needs.”

About the Partners

AbCellera Biologics Inc. operates a comprehensive antibody discovery and development platform spanning cancer, metabolic disorders, and immunological indications. The company’s integrated technology stack combines computational design, laboratory infrastructure, and specialized scientific teams to solve complex antibody engineering challenges. AbCellera maintains an active pipeline of proprietary programs alongside strategic research collaborations.

ArrowMark Partners, established in 2007 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, operates as a privately held, employee-owned investment firm. The organization specializes in identifying value within niche and underserved market segments across public equities, private credit instruments, leveraged loan markets, and commercial real estate finance—areas where specialized expertise and organizational agility generate outsized returns for investors.

Viking Global Investors brings deep expertise in identifying and nurturing early-stage companies through their development and scaling phases, complementing the operational and technological strengths of the other partners.

This collaboration represents a blueprint for how traditional venture investment can combine with platform technology providers to accelerate drug discovery economics and reduce time to clinical validation.