CHA Biotech announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Matica Bio, will provide process optimization services to U.S.-based biotechnology company Bondwell Technologies for the production of next-generation protein biomaterials.
Bondwell develops next-generation protein technologies for applications in bioprocessing and advanced life sciences. The company is developing a proprietary protein biomaterials platform that leverages the natural binding and self-assembly properties of proteins, with plans to apply the technology to pharmaceuticals, environmental applications, and energy.
Matica Bio will leverage its process development (PD) expertise accumulated in the cell and gene therapy (CGT) field to accelerate production of Bondwell’s protein biomaterials and support their commercialization. The collaboration is also expected to allow Matica Bio to expand its process development capabilities from CGT into recombinant proteins.
Process development involves designing and optimizing production conditions and processes—including cell culture and purification—to enable the stable and efficient manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and biological materials.
Building on its collaboration with Bondwell, Matica Bio plans to expand partnerships with research institutions and biotechnology companies in Texas, enabling them to access world-class development capabilities without having to leave the state.
Matica Bio is based in College Station, Texas, where biotechnology companies and research institutions are clustered around Texas A&M University, a leading center for biotechnology research. As the CGT market expands, demand is also growing for CDMO services that can improve process development and manufacturing efficiency from the early stages of development.
Matica Bio plans to strengthen its competitiveness by establishing a collaborative model with biotechnology companies and research institutes that have yet to establish their manufacturing processes, working with them from the earliest stages of development.
“As Texas establishes itself as a hub for biotechnology innovation, the importance of collaboration among local companies is growing,” said Paul Kim, CEO of Matica Bio. “We will work with biotechnology companies across Texas to foster innovative technologies and strengthen the competitiveness of the region’s biotechnology ecosystem.”
Matica Bio was established by CHA Biotech as part of its expansion into the U.S. CGT CDMO market. In 2022, it completed construction of a CGT CDMO facility in College Station, Texas, becoming the only Korean company at the time to establish such a facility in the state.