KBI Biopharma acquires assets of Louisville-based Elion

LOUISVILLE — A North Carolina-based biopharmaceutical company with operations in Boulder has acquired the assets of Louisville-based Elion Labs.

KBI Biopharma Inc. purchased the assets of Elion, a contract services organization serving the biopharmaceutical industry. Elion’s services include analytical method development, qualification and validation, characterization of biologics, and comprehensive data analysis, including visualization and interpretation of complex data sets.

KBI said in a prepared statement that the acquisition strengthens the company’s analytical and biophysical characterization capabilities and complements the company’s current facility at 2500 Central Ave. in Boulder, which focuses on development and manufacturing of microbial processes.

All of Elion’s staff will join KBI, including co-founders John Gabrielson, Brent Kendrick and Kelly Arthur, who will continue to oversee operations of the Louisville facility at 1450 Infinite Drive.

“Elion has rapidly built a vibrant, growing business and an outstanding reputation for their expertise in characterization of biologics, and we are thrilled to welcome their exceptional team and leadership to KBI,” KBI president and CEO Tim Kelly said in a prepared statement. “KBI built our foundation on world-class analytical capabilities which remain at the heart of our business. By incorporating Elion into our company, and combining their unique expertise with Alliance and KBI’s well-established facilities in North Carolina and Colorado, we have established the most powerful analytical capabilities in the biopharmaceutical CDMO industry.”

KBI entered the Boulder market in 2014, with the purchase of Merck & Co. Inc.’s microbial process development and manufacturing operations. The company recently completed a $30 million expansion of its facilities in Boulder and Durham, N.C.