AGC Biologics and Novelty Nobility expand manufacturing deal

Novelty Nobility, a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in South Korea, has expanded its manufacturing agreement with AGC Biologics to advance a bispecific antibody drug candidate through process development and GMP manufacturing.

The program will transition to AGC Biologics’ facility in Chiba, Japan, following earlier cell line development work completed within the contract development and manufacturing organization’s global network. The collaboration is focused on advancing NN4101, a bispecific antibody targeting neovascular retinal diseases, through the next stages of development and manufacturing.

AGC Biologics said the project leverages its global capabilities in handling complex biologics, including mammalian expression systems and single-use bioreactor technologies, to support process scalability and consistency. The CDMO said the integrated network approach is intended to streamline technology transfer and reduce development timelines.

According to the announcement, the agreement reflects ongoing demand for manufacturing solutions that can support increasingly complex biologics pipelines, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. AGC Biologics said its expanding footprint in Japan is designed to support regional and global supply needs.

The collaboration builds on AGC Biologics’ broader capacity expansion strategy. In April 2026, the company detailed plans to build a new large-scale manufacturing facility in Yokohama, Japan, designed to support mammalian, cell therapy and mRNA production using single-use technologies.