The Cologne project team is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) through the GO-Bio next funding program and by ForTra gGmbH for Research Transfer (subsidiary of the Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation). In addition to financial support, the DZIF contributes substantial scientific and translational expertise through its Product Development Unit, supporting the program on its path toward clinical development.

The translational collaboration between the University Hospital Cologne and the DZIF represents a shift toward precision anti‑infective biologics designed to neutralize specific virulence mechanisms and modulate host–pathogen interactions. This targeted approach may offer new options for immunocompromised individuals facing multidrug‑resistant strains.

Celonic will execute the program across its integrated Biologics Development Center in Basel, Switzerland and its German GMP manufacturing site in Heidelberg, a facility known for high‑quality biologics production, strong regulatory alignment, and deep expertise in complex molecule manufacturing. Celonic will apply extensive experience in accelerated process development. The program will leverage Celonic’s latest‑generation Ambr 250 perfusion-enabled, high-throughput system from Sartorius with 24 independent bioreactors, enabling high‑resolution, parallel experimentation and statistically robust design‑of‑experiments workflows allowing streamlined progression directly into pilot scale and GMP manufacturing.

Samanta Cimitan, CEO of Celonic Group, stated: “Advancing therapies for life-threatening infections requires both scientific excellence and technological expertise. The monoclonal antibody program developed by the University Hospital Cologne and DZIF represents a promising advancement that may help address an important unmet need for patients. At Celonic, we are committed to supporting its progression into the clinic with speed, precision, and reliability. Leveraging next-generation high-throughput development technologies and our GMP manufacturing capabilities in Heidelberg, Germany, we help translate innovative scientific concepts into scalable therapies. We are proud to partner on a program that has the potential to provide an important new treatment option for patients with limited therapeutic choices.”

This collaboration brings together the scientific expertise of the University Hospital Cologne, the translational capabilities of DZIF, and Celonic Group's integrated development and GMP manufacturing platform to accelerate the advancement of this innovative anti-infective antibody program toward the clinic. It also reinforces Celonic Group’s position as a leading CDMO for accelerated process development and GMP manufacturing in Switzerland and Germany.