Clean Cells buys bioinformatics CRO Xegen, launches NGS viral safety testing
What's the deal? France-based Clean CellsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired French bioinformatics CRO XegenDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and launched next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based safety testing for viral matrices such as viral vectors and recombinant preparations. Xegen specialises in NGS data analysis, and the deal is designed to consolidate and secure Clean Cells' bioinformatics capabilities.
The strategic rationale: The acquisition supports every NGS method and de-risks the most technically complex part of the workflow, according to chief executive officer Laurent Claisse. "A secured bioinformatics backbone, the most critical part of NGS, means reliable, auditable data handling," he said.
The key hire: Xegen co-founder and chief executive officer Julien Paganini will join Clean Cells as expert project manager for bioinformatics, analytical methods development, and validation, bringing his team of two staff. "Sequencing is the technology but turning it into a quality control solution involves much more than simply generating reads," Paganini said.
The product: The new NGS viral safety test detects unwanted viruses in biologic medicines, addressing cases where classical assays struggle because no anti-serum exists. Combined with Xegen's expertise, Clean Cells says it now controls the full workflow from sample to interpreted result for international clients.
Why now? The offering arrives as European regulatory frameworks make NGS increasingly relevant for viral safety. New rules — notably ICH Q5A(R2) (2024) and European Pharmacopoeia chapter 2.6.41 — are pushing NGS from a niche technology toward mainstream adoption, said Elodie Ribert, deputy director and head of analytical development and validation.
What's next? Clean Cells plans to extend the validated NGS method from acellular viral matrices to cell banks, a process currently underway. It also intends to build additional viral safety expertise and business development capacity.
The signal: As regulators recognise NGS as a route for adventitious virus detection, testing providers are racing to fold specialist bioinformatics in-house. Owning the data-analysis layer — not just the sequencing — is becoming the differentiator in regulated quality control.
Read more: genengnews.com
Image credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
