Abcam signs exclusive partnership agreement with A*STAR’s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology

  • Partnership to develop high-quality immunoassays for life science research

Cambridge UK, 8 January, 2015: Abcam plc, a global leader in the supply of life science research tools, announced today it has signed a partnership agreement with the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore. Under the terms of the agreement, Abcam will develop a range of RabMAb® antibody pairs against targets jointly selected by IMCB and Abcam, to be used by both organisations in the development of immunoassays for life scientists working in both research and in diagnostics.

Combining the biological research expertise at IMCB with Abcam’s RabMAb technology will enable rapid production of antibody pairs with a high level of affinity, specificity and validation. This will include antibody pairs to some of the most important targets in cytokine research, and to exciting novel proteins. The first antibody pairs are expected to be completed by August 2015 and available to the research market later in the year. This project represents the beginning of a planned multi-year collaboration between IMCB and Abcam.

Alan Hirzel, CEO, Abcam, said: “We’re excited about the opportunities that this collaboration will bring to life scientists. We are global leaders in making high quality antibodies with our RabMAb technology. By continuing to establish important collaborations, we have the chance to extend our reach to new areas of research. IMCB’s unique R&D capabilities put us in an excellent position to quickly bring innovative immunoassays to global life science researchers, to accelerate the pace of scientific discoveries.”

Professor Wanjin Hong, Executive Director of IMCB, said: “We’re delighted to have signed this agreement. The collaboration will enable IMCB to use Abcam’s proven RabMAb technology and apply it in our R&D programs to advance future development and adoption of immunoassays in immunodiagnostics and therapeutics. In view of the significant R&D expertise and growing importance of the biologics industry in Singapore, this collaboration will help drive antibody discovery and development activities in the region. I am confident that A*STAR and the scientific community will benefit from this promising partnership.”

Sue Harris appointed as non-Executive Director on Abcam Board

  • Appointment further strengthens the Abcam Board

Cambridge, UK, December 12, 2014:Abcam plc., a leading provider of protein research tools is pleased to announce the appointment of Sue Harris as a non-Executive Director on the Abcam Board. Sue will join the Board with immediate effect and will Chair the Audit Committee.

A Chemist by training, Sue has over 30 years of financial and commercial experience. She began her career at Ford Motor Co. before moving to oil company Amerada Hess. Sue subsequently held senior executive roles at Marks & Spencer, across finance and latterly as Head of Corporate Development, and Standard Life where she led the process to float the company on the London Stock Exchange in 2006. She then joined Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) where she was Finance Director of respectively; Cheltenham and Gloucester; LBG’s Retail Bank; and LBG Group Finance; and latterly Group Audit Director.

Sue is a Member of the Audit and Assurance Council of the Financial Reporting Council and previously was a Non-Executive Director on the Board of St. James’s Place (representing LBG) and a Member of the Audit and Remuneration Committee of the British Bankers’ Association. She is Chair of Trustees for KCP Youth and during a ten year association with Mencap chaired both the Finance and Audit Committees. Sue has completed INSEAD’s Advanced Management Programme, is a Chartered Management Accountant and has a degree in Chemistry from Manchester University.

“I am delighted to welcome Sue to the Abcam Board. She brings a wealth of finance and commercial skills, which combined with her broad corporate experience and scientific background, make her an ideal person to further strengthen the Abcam Board at this exciting time in our journey.”

– Murray Hennessy, Chairman, Abcam

Abcam appoints Yvonne Chien as Chief Digital Officer

  • Abcam’s leadership team strengthened by new appointments

Cambridge, UK, December 12, 2014:Abcam plc., a global leader in the supply of protein research tools and services, announced today that it has appointed Yvonne Chien as Chief Digital Officer. The Company also announced today the appointment of Sue Harris as non-Executive Director to the Abcam Board, further strengthening Abcam’s leadership team.

Yvonne will be based at Abcam’s Headquarters in Cambridge, UK and will be responsible for the development of its innovative eCommerce and digital marketing platform. She will be replacing Ed Ralph, who has been appointed as Chief Marketing Officer at Axol Biosciences, and will join the Company on 8th January 2015.

Yvonne brings extensive digital marketing and brand experience to Abcam. She previously held the role of Senior Vice President of Marketing at Getty Images, where she was responsible for brand, digital, product and sales marketing globally across Getty Images and its portfolio of brands. Prior to joining Getty Images, Yvonne held senior marketing positions with various internet and tech companies, including Google, Bebo (previously owned by AOL), Siebel Systems (acquired by Oracle) and BrainJuicer.

Yvonne holds a BA in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

“We are delighted to appoint Yvonne Chien and Sue Harris to the Senior Leadership Team and Board respectively. Both Yvonne and Sue complement Abcam’s existing exceptional talent, bringing a wealth of corporate and scientific experience to the roles. Their appointments will strengthen Abcam’s leadership team at an exciting time in our growth, helping us achieve our vision of becoming the brand most recommended by life science researchers.”

– Alan Hirzel, CEO, Abcam

Abcam wins ‘Best Use of Digital Media’ at Life Science Industry Awards

  • Awards recognize the world’s top performing life science suppliers

Cambridge, UK, November 19, 2014:Abcam plc., a leading provider of protein research tools and services, announced today that it has won the Life Science Industry Award for the ‘Best Use of Digital Media’. Hosted by Bioinformatics LLC, the awards were announced at a ceremony in Washington D.C. on November 18, in conjunction with the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting.

Abcam revolutionized the buying of antibodies through its innovative eCommerce platform. The Company continues to innovate through its digital channels to provide personalized, relevant content that anticipates consumer needs and enhances their experience and engagement.

Presented to the world’s top performing life science suppliers in 27 categories, the Life Science Industry Awards are recognized as a benchmark of excellence in the life science tools industry. Voted by an expert network of thousands of global scientists, The Science Advisory Board, the awards bring the voice of the customer into the voting process backed up by rigorous scoring methodology, bringing these awards the highest degree of integrity.

“We’re delighted to have been recognized for the ‘Best Use of Digital Media’ and nominated in a further six categories. Our consumer-driven digital marketing strategy means we stay at the forefront of consumer needs, to provide the best products and services to enable researchers to discover more.”

– Alan Hirzel, CEO, Abcam

Abcam licenses novel Ceefourin inhibitors of multidrug resistance protein 4 from Australia’s Children’s Cancer Institute

  • Compounds allow further exploration of MRP4 function and have potential in cancer therapeutic development

Sydney, Australia and Cambridge, UK, 22 September, 2014: Children’s Cancer Institute and Abcam plc, a global leader in the supply of life science research tools, announced today that they have entered into an exclusive licence, supply and distribution agreement for multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4/ABCC4) inhibitors, Ceefourin™ 1 and Ceefourin™ 2, for research purposes.

The first known selective inhibitors of MRP4, Ceefourin 1 and Ceefourin 2 are potent, chemically distinct compounds and represent important tools for investigating essential cellular processes such as multidrug resistance. The compounds will enable the further exploration of MRP4 function and have potential in development of therapeutic drugs to treat cancer. The novel MRP4 inhibitors were discovered and characterised by Children’s Cancer Institute.

MRP4 is a protein that belongs to the ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily of membrane pumps that export molecules from the cell. MRP4 effectively effluxes elements that are potentially toxic to the cell, protecting it from deleterious chemical build-ups and from xenobiotics, such as environmental toxins. Previous research on MRP4 and other ABC transporter family members has shown that these proteins are often ‘hijacked’ by cancer cells, which produce them at high levels to pump out chemotherapy drugs, effectively protecting the cancer cells from treatment.

Up to this point, researchers have not had access to effective MRP4 inhibitors without substantial confounding off-target effects. Highly specific research reagents are crucial to accurately defining how these proteins work. Furthermore, used together, these compounds provide a complementary toolset for the research community, with the potential for enabling studies in the field to be more effective and insightful, and deliver results faster.

“We are delighted to be able to make these research reagents available to the scientific community worldwide through our partnership with Abcam. These compounds will enable researchers to obtain new insights into MRP4 function and to modulate extracellular drug transport.”

– Professor Murray Norris, Lead researcher and Children’s Cancer Institute Deputy Directo

“We are very pleased to partner with Children’s Cancer Institute, and to manage distribution of these reagents to the research community, helping to increase the impact of their findings and help scientists discover more.”

– Matthew Roe, Head of Reagents, Abcam

Abcam plc announces appointment of new CEO and Board changes

  • Alan Hirzel is named Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect

Cambridge UK, September 9, 2014: Abcam plc, a leading provider of innovative protein research tools and services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Hirzel as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Alan will succeed long-serving Chief Executive and co-Founder of Abcam Jonathan Milner, who will continue to play an active role in the Company as Deputy Chairman and who remains the Company’s largest shareholder.

Jonathan’s exceptional vision and ambition inspired the creation of Abcam in 1998. Today, he and the Board are delighted to appoint a successor to lead the business through its next phase of growth. Alan brings an impressive combination of a strong scientific background, global business and leadership experience, and consumer knowledge. He will take over the leadership of the company effective immediately, whilst Jonathan will continue to use his extensive industry experience and network of contacts to identify partnership and acquisition opportunities, as well as technology changes which will help maintain Abcam’s leading technical edge.

Alan takes on the role of Chief Executive Officer having spent the last year as Chief Marketing Officer of Abcam and he has served on the Board since January 2014. In this role he had responsibility for the Company’s branding, product portfolio and online consumer offering, and worked closely with Jonathan to develop Abcam’s strategic vision. Abcam is already seeing results; achieving internal milestones and delivering incremental revenue growth. Abcam believes that this strategy will provide a solid platform for growth in the mid- to long-term.

Peter Keen, a Board member since 2005, will not be seeking re-election, in line with corporate governance best practice for independent directors. During his time on the Board, Peter served as Chairman of the Remuneration and Audit Committees, and as the Senior Independent Director. Abcam is grateful for the significant contribution Peter has made to the operation of the Board and the development of the business during that time. Louise Patten will assume the Senior Independent Director role following the AGM in November. Also today, Abcam reports strong financial results for the year ended 30 June 2014

“Through the innovative business model which Jonathan established and developed, Abcam has grown to have nearly 750 employees globally, with our newest office in Shanghai opening earlier this year. He and Alan have forged a close working relationship and share a strategic vision for Abcam’s future. Alan will take over the leadership of the company, with Jonathan remaining involved in helping to identify and capitalise on important technological developments in the market and business development opportunities.Abcam continues to grow and is now entering the next phase of its development. The Board felt that Alan, with his keen focus on the customer and significant global business experience, was the ideal candidate to lead the company through this. The results we are announcing today clearly demonstrate Alan’s contribution so far and we are excited about our future prospects.”

– Murray Hennessy, Chairman Designate, Abca

“The future has never been brighter for Abcam. Whilst I am standing down as Chief Executive Officer, I remain fully committed to this business. After sixteen years as Chief Executive Officer, during which time Abcam has become one of the world’s leading suppliers of protein research tools, now is the right time to hand over the reins. I have worked closely with Alan over the last year and he has been inspirational in the evolution of our strategy. Alan has my full confidence and I believe there is no one better to take the company forward on the next phase of our journey. I look forward to continuing to work closely with him and the strong leadership team at Abcam in my new role as Deputy Chairman, helping to seek out technologies and opportunities which will further strengthen the company. I would also like to thank Peter Keen for his long and distinguished service on the Abcam Board, on which he has served for nine years.”

– Jonathan Milner, Co-Founder, Abca

“I am delighted to be taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer of Abcam, at such an exciting point in its growth. Jonathan and the Abcam team have built a fantastic company over the last sixteen years, and I am privileged to now take the helm. I am driven by our mission to help life science researchers discover more, and am looking forward to continuing to implement our strategy of driving growth by placing the customer at the heart of the business – a strategy that is already delivering results.”

– Alan Hirzel, Chief Executive, Abcam

Abcam and Cell Marque sign global strategic marketing agreement for IVD IHC RabMAb® antibodies

  • Partnership extends Abcam’s reach within in vitro diagnostics market

Cambridge UK, September 4, 2014: Abcam plc, a global leader in the manufacture and supply of innovative protein research tools and services, and Cell Marque Corporation, a provider of antibodies and reagents for diagnostic immunohistochemistry, announced today they have signed a global 10-year strategic marketing agreement for Abcam’s in vitro diagnostic (IVD) immunohistochemistry (IHC) RabMAb® primary antibody portfolio.

Under the agreement, Cell Marque will apply its extensive IVD expertise to incorporate Abcam’s IVD IHC RabMAb primary antibodies into its portfolio and use its established distribution channels to distribute them to the global market. The agreement will give customers faster, easier access to Abcam’s high-quality antibodies.

The antibodies use Abcam’s powerful RabMAb technology offering superior binding affinity and specificity, and have been specifically developed to provide high-quality results to pathology laboratories for immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue.

“We are excited about the growth opportunity that this agreement provides. Part of our strategy is to work with partners that offer complementary high-quality products and who share our vision of enabling researchers to discover more. The agreement with Cell Marque will enable Abcam to extend its reach within the in vitro diagnostics market, with a broader range of customers able to access our in-house developed RabMAb products.”

– Alan Hirzel, Chief Marketing Officer, Abca

“The addition of Abcam’s IVD RabMAb products complements our current portfolio. The agreement with Abcam demonstrates Cell Marque’s ability to meet the quality and performance requirements of pathologists and will expand our offering of exceptional quality diagnostic tools.”

– Nora Lacey, President and CEO, Cell Marque

Abcam introduces exclusive range of highly validated antibody conjugates

  • Offering reliable and specific research tools for multi-color experiments

Highly validated conjugates

Cambridge UK, September 3, 2014: Abcam plc, a global leader in the supply of innovative protein research tools and services, announced today it has launched an exclusive range of highly validated conjugated antibodies for use in key imaging applications including immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and fluorescent western blotting.

Abcam’s conjugated antibodies enable scientists to easily perform multi-protein analysis. It is essential for scientists to study and image proteins in their multi-component state rather than individually, as research findings indicate that proteins rarely operate in isolation but function within multi-protein complexes.

The majority of the new antibodies are developed using Abcam’s RabMAb® technology, and are conjugated to Alexa Fluor® dyes, HRP, or biotin, combining high signal to noise ratios with high specificity. Each antibody has been produced and extensively validated by Abcam’s scientists. Performance data including images, references and customer reviews is provided with each product.

“Product quality is of critical importance to Abcam. We’re developing our in-house product ranges, focusing on high production standards and verifying quality through additional in-house and independent validation.”

– Matthew Roe, Head of Reagents, Abca

Highly validated antibody conjugates.

Alexa Fluor® is a registered trademark of Life Technologies. Alexa Fluor® dye conjugates contain(s) technology licensed to Abcam by Life Technologies.

Abcam’s CEO wins Mediscience award

  • Award recognizes the biggest contribution to the Mediscience sector

Cambridge UK, June 20, 2014: Abcam plc., a leading provider of innovative protein research tools and services, is pleased to announce that its CEO, Dr Jonathan Milner, has won the European Mediscience award for the ‘Most significant contribution to the Mediscience sector’.

Picture shows, left to right: Erik Manting, Executive Director, Life Sciences and Health, Kempen & Co; Dr. Brian White, Shore Capital; Jonathan Milner (winner); and Louise Minchin, awards presenter.

The European Mediscience Awards is the largest annual gathering of private and publicly quoted healthcare, biotech and life sciences companies in Europe. The awards celebrate the best breakthroughs, technology and significant contributions from individuals and companies in the Mediscience sector.

Jonathan’s committment to the Mediscience sector is driven by a passion for a better understanding of human health and disease. Starting out as a breast cancer researcher at the University of Cambridge, and frustrated by a lack of high-quality antibodies in the market, Jonathan founded Abcam in 1998. Dubbed the ‘Amazon of Antibodies’ for its unique data-rich products, the Company has evolved from humble beginnings and is now a market leader providing innovative products such as RabMAb® primaries and a range of other life science products to help advance protein research globally.

In recent years, Jonathan has been involved with several exciting research initiatives and is the principle investor in Horizon Discovery and co-founder of Axol Bioscience.

“I’m delighted to have won the award for the most significant contribution to the Mediscience sector. At Abcam, we’re passionate about accelerating the pace of scientific discoveries to better understand human health and disease. I would like to thank our employees who are dedicated to our mission of enabling scientists to discover more ”

– Dr Jonathan Milner, CEO, Abcam

Abcam introduces Alexa Fluor® 680/790 secondary antibodies for fluorescent western blotting

  • New range offers high performance antibodies for more efficient western blotting

Cambridge UK, March 3, 2013: Abcam plc., a global leader in the supply of innovative protein research tools, announced today it has added Alexa Fluor® 680/790 secondary antibodies for fluorescent western blotting to its existing Alexa Fluor conjugated antibody range.

Produced and extensively validated in Abcam laboratories, the F:P ratios of Alexa Fluor 680/790 have been optimised to ensure high quality and performance. The expanding range offers a broad portfolio of labelled secondary antibodies with guaranteed bright staining and low background to meet the different needs of researchers undertaking multi-colour analysis.

“The popularity of fluorescent western blotting is growing and presents many advantages over the traditional method. With no need for film and chemiluminesence, fluorescent western blotting is more convenient and enables greater signal stability and the ability to facilitate simultaneous multi-colour analysis on one blot. High performing antibodies are crucial for fluorescent western blotting and we’re pleased that our new Alexa Fluor680/790 secondary antibodies can support this trend.”

– Brian Carpenter, Product Manager, Secondary Antibodies

Abcam Alexa Fluor secondaries are ideal for scientists undertaking multi-colour staining from all research backgrounds. The addition of these products complements Abcam’s innovative RabMAb® primary products and market leading primary antibody range.

Abcam Alexa Fluor secondaries are supported by expert scientific support, information-rich datasheets, and are available globally with fast delivery either directly through the Abcam website or via one of Abcam’s authorised distributors.

Find out more about Alexa Fluor secondaries.

Alexa Fluor® is a registered trademark of Life Technologies. Alexa Fluor® dye conjugates contain(s) technology licensed to Abcam by Life Technologies.