AbCellera partners with academia on Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most common congenital diseases in the world, affecting one in 3,500 Canadian males.

In an effort to fulfill this unmet medical need, privately-held Canadian biotech firm AbCellera Biologics has entered into a three-year partnership with Drs Fabio Rossi and Michael Underhill of the University of British Columbia (UBC) to discover, test, and develop therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of DMD-associated fibrosis.

“It is immensely satisfying to see many years of investment in the basic science now being translated towards therapies for patients in need, and that this work will lead to economic benefits here in BC,” commented Dr Rossi, a professor in the Department of Medical Genetics and co-director of the Biomedical Research Centre.