Avitide

About Avitide

Avitide operates as a specialized business within Repligen, focusing on the discovery, development, and manufacturing of affinity purification solutions for the biopharmaceutical sector. The company was founded in 2013 by Tillman Gerngross, a Dartmouth engineering professor, along with his former graduate student Kevin Isett and postdoctoral researcher Warren Kett. The concept for Avitide originated from research at Dartmouth College, where the founders identified a critical need for a more efficient and reliable method to purify biologic drugs. Kevin Isett, who became the CEO, brought over a decade of experience from Merck in biologics, vaccines, and bioprocess R&D, having seen firsthand the manufacturing challenges related to drug purity. Warren Kett, the Chief Scientific Officer, was a senior research fellow at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering and had previously co-founded Glycan Biosciences.

The company's business model is centered on providing custom and catalog biopharmaceutical affinity purification products. Avitide serves biopharmaceutical manufacturers and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), helping them accelerate development timelines and improve process economics. Revenue is generated through the sale of its proprietary AVIPure™ affinity resins and related services. A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition by Repligen Corporation in September 2021 for approximately $150 million in cash and stock. This acquisition was a strategic move for Repligen to strengthen its Proteins business and expand its capabilities into affinity solutions for the rapidly growing gene therapy market.

Avitide's core offering is its AVIPure™ portfolio of affinity ligands, which are designed for the precise separation of biological molecules. The technology enables the rapid development of highly selective chromatography resins, which are crucial for purifying a wide array of biologics such as enzymes, antibodies, vaccines, and gene therapy vectors. A key selling point is the company's industry-leading service timeline, promising a three-month turnaround from concept to resin delivery. This speed allows clients to de-risk their commercial manufacturing plans and reduce costs associated with process development. The firm's manufacturing operations are ISO 9001:2015 certified, ensuring quality and reliability for its clients in a highly regulated industry.