Flerie Invest led a syndicate of investors in the 52 million USD acquisition of Charles River Laboratories Inc’s DNA and protein manufacturing subsidiary Cobra Biologics Matfors AB, including its 7,000 square-meter facility.

The new entity will be called NorthX Biologics AB.

“This acquisition is a major investment for us and fits well with Flerie’s strategy of investing in the gene and cell therapy space in Europe and the US,” says Thomas Eldered, President of Flerie Invest.

Catalyze R&D and manufacturing partnerships

The facility houses an existing cleanroom infrastructure, process development and quality control laboratories, as well as warehouse space, and is equipped to provide GMP-grade plasmid DNA and technical protein manufacture at commercial scale. Further investment and expansion of the facility and its current 128 employee roster is expected to begin immediately. This will result in added biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing capacity, including RNA and cell therapies, and will catalyze R&D and manufacturing partnerships across the Nordics, EU and beyond, states Flerie Invest.

“I look forward to working with the highly competent staff in Matfors to help grow innovative biotech companies, and to create security of supply of drugs and vaccines, and so be better prepared for future pandemics,” says Ted Fjällman, Partner Flerie Invest and CEO of NorthX Biologics.

Photo of Ted Fjällman and Thomas Eldered