Boston, MA, August 9, 2026
Asimov announced the successful completion of a cell line development campaign in collaboration with Kyungdong Pharmaceutical for a next-generation biosimilar antibody candidate, delivering a high-performing production cell line that is expected to support subsequent process development, large-scale manufacturing and potential commercialization. The collaboration combines Asimov’s AI-native synthetic biology capabilities with Kyungdong Pharmaceutical’s pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing expertise as the Korean company expands into the biopharmaceutical and biologics market. The resulting production cell line achieved a high titer, providing an important foundation for further development activities focused on productivity, product quality and manufacturing scalability. The completion of the campaign represents a significant development milestone for the collaboration and demonstrates the potential application of computationally guided biological design to accelerate the development of production cell lines for biosimilar therapeutics.
Asimov Applies AI-Driven CHO Technology to Biosimilar Development
Asimov conducted the cell line development program using its proprietary CHO Edge System, an integrated platform designed to improve the productivity and efficiency of mammalian cell line development. The system combines a GS knockout CHO host, a hyperactive transposase, a genetic parts library and Kernel, Asimov’s AI-driven genetic design software. Through the combination of these technologies, Asimov generated and evaluated engineered cell lines to identify a high-performing production cell line for Kyungdong’s biosimilar antibody program. The resulting high-titer cell line is expected to provide a strong starting point for downstream process development and manufacturing optimization. Maintaining product quality alongside high productivity is particularly important for biosimilar development because manufacturers must establish processes capable of consistently producing biologic products with the required quality characteristics. The successful completion of the campaign therefore provides Kyungdong with an important technological foundation as it continues advancing its biologics capabilities.
Kyungdong Pharmaceutical Expands Into Biopharmaceuticals
Kyungdong Pharmaceutical is leveraging its established experience in the research, development and manufacturing of prescription medicines while expanding its activities into biopharmaceutical development. The company has traditionally maintained capabilities across therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases, while continuing to invest in research and formulation technologies. The collaboration with Asimov represents part of Kyungdong’s strategy to strengthen its next-generation biopharmaceutical R&D capabilities and establish a foundation for future biologics manufacturing and commercialization. By securing a high-performing production cell line for its biosimilar antibody candidate, Kyungdong can proceed toward additional development activities, including process development and manufacturing scale-up. The company also plans to work with global technology and development partners as it expands its pharmaceutical business and seeks opportunities in international markets.
Advertisement
Collaboration Establishes Foundation for Future Manufacturing
The completion of the cell line development campaign marks an important transition from early production-cell-line engineering toward subsequent stages of biosimilar development. A robust production cell line can support future upstream process development, downstream purification, analytical characterization and manufacturing scale-up, although additional development and regulatory work will be required before any potential commercial product can reach patients. Asimov said the collaboration demonstrated the productivity and development efficiency of its CHO Edge System while maintaining product quality, highlighting the potential role of AI-enabled biological design in therapeutic manufacturing. For Kyungdong, the partnership provides access to specialized synthetic biology capabilities as the company builds its presence in the biologics sector. The two companies are expected to continue their collaboration as Kyungdong advances its biosimilar antibody candidate toward future development and potential commercialization. The program also reflects the broader pharmaceutical industry’s increasing adoption of AI, synthetic biology and engineered mammalian cell systems to improve the speed, productivity and scalability of biologics development.
Source: Asimov,, release
