Kentucky Bioprocessing, Icon Genetics and Mapp Biopharmaceutical have entered into discussions to merge their businesses

10-05-2012: Kentucky Bioprocessing, LLC (KBP), Icon  Genetics, GmbH (ICON) and Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc. (Mappbio) have announced that they have entered into detailed negotiations aimed at merging the companies to create a single, fully integrated biopharmaceutical discovery, development and manufacturing enterprise.

While many details of the proposed merger remain to be finalized, the parties have agreed that any operating headquarters would remain at the KBP location in Owensboro, Kentucky. KBP Chairman/CEO Hugh Haydon would assume the position of CEO of the merged company. Drs. Victor Klimyuk, Larry Zeitlin, Kevin Whaley and Yuri Gleba along with KBP’s Barry Bratcher have all agreed to assume leading positions within the merged company.

The companies have a six-year history of successful collaboration. They have combined the unique intellectual property and research and development capabilities of ICON, the product discovery expertise at Mappbio and the production process development and large scale cGMP manufacturing facilities and know-how at KBP to create a pipeline of monoclonal antibodies and other biopharmaceutical product candidates using a Nicotiana plant-based production system. The combined company’s intellectual property and know-how, R&D and manufacturing capabilities, product pipeline as well as experienced management team will position the merged business as a leading PMP based biopharmaceutical company.

The parties hope to reach a definitive agreement in the coming months.  Additional details were not disclosed.