There are talent shortages in specialised modalities such as ADCs, peptides, and computational biology

As the Asia Pacific (APAC) contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) sector continues to expand rapidly due to rising R&D investment, strong biotech formation, increased demand for Investigational New Drug (IND) - enabling and early Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) services, and national incentives for biomanufacturing, KBI Biopharma is focused on targeted expansion into Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Australia, for improving local engagement and enhancing access to global network. BioSpectrum Asia spoke to Katie Edgar, Chief Business Officer, KBI Biopharma to learn more about the company's growth plans in 2026, and about the growth opportunities in store for the CDMO market within the APAC region.

- Dr Manbeena Chawla

How would KBI Biopharma highlight its achievements in 2025? Which key projects strengthened the company's global CDMO presence?

2025 has been a pivotal and transformative year for KBI Biopharma, with breakthroughs across scientific platforms, digital capabilities, customer experience, and strategic partnerships. We completed significant platform upgrades to ensure speed, consistency, and robustness for early-stage programmes heading toward IND. These improvements have positioned KBI as a top choice for biotechs seeking reliable, high-quality IND-enabling support. A major milestone this year was the build-out of an integrated, end-to-end development and manufacturing model, including a strategic partnership with Argonaut Manufacturing Services for Drug Product (DP). This partnership streamlines vendor management, strengthens supply chain reliability, and gives our clients a more seamless, unified experience from cell line development (CLD) through DP release.

We currently offer GMP antibody drug conjugate (ADC) testing at our Geneva site, and plan to expand this service to our Boulder and North Carolina sites in 2026. In addition, we are in the design phase for building a state-of-the-art ADC process development lab at one of our North Carolina sites.

What are the major plans lined up for 2026? Are there any new investment plans? How much growth is anticipated in 2026?