Ascend & ABL Inc.

ABOUT ASCEND & ABL INC.

Ascend Advanced Therapies (Ascend) is a gene-to-GMP contract, development, and manufacturing organization (CDMO) built on decades of biomedical research and therapeutic development expertise.

Capabilities span early-stage discovery work, optimization, process development, regulatory support, and drug-substance to GMP manufacturing. The company started with a specialty focus on gene therapies across AAV serotypes going back to 1991. In late 2024, Ascend and ABL, Inc. partnered to leverage 60+ years of expertise across a broad spectrum of viral vectors. The alignment further expanded the United States footprint and specialized offering to include government and public R&D to GMP manufacturing of gene therapies, immunotherapies, oncolytics, and vaccines.

Together, the teams support customers from research to commercial scale through to fill/finish capabilities in both US locations. Understanding the challenges developers face today, the team is continuously evolving the technology platform featuring an extensive analytical portfolio of >50 in-house characterization and release assays. Full-scale GMP facilities in Rockville, MD and Alachua, FL are complemented by GMP QC capabilities in Munich, Germany (EU).

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Solving The AAV Scalability Challenge

Explore the effectiveness of a flexible, scalable AAV manufacturing platform that incorporates well-characterized bioreactors and advanced production systems to drive the development of cost-effective, high-quality gene therapies.
The Importance Of AAV Process Comparability Throughout Development

Ensure scalability, quality, and regulatory compliance from early development to commercialization for faster, cost-effective gene therapy success by streamlining your viral vector production strategy.
Enhancing AAV Production Using High-Throughput Screens And Rational Design

Learn to leverage cutting-edge technologies and innovative processes to enhance yields, quality, and scalability for next-generation gene therapy development and delivery.
Gene Therapy CDMOs Play Critical Role In Enabling AAV Process Improvement, Standardization

Access innovative, scalable manufacturing solutions and expert CDMO support to accelerate your journey from concept to commercialization.
The Deep Roots Of Gene Therapy In Florida

Discover how Ascend builds on a legacy of AAV innovation in Florida, advancing gene therapy with cutting-edge expertise, GMP manufacturing, and deep academic collaboration.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Ascend & ABL Inc.

9800 Medical Center Dr D

Rockville, MD 20850

UNITED STATES

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SOLUTIONS

What We Do

Ascend is the partner for AAV vector design, manufacturability, scale-up and quality assurance. From early pre-clinical phases into the clinic and out on the market, we understand that consistent product quality is not negotiable and work to get it right early on. Our team is always thinking about the scalability of a product to ensure it can have the greatest impact on the patients that need it.
Outsourcing: A Way To Help Your Team Overcome Challenges
Partnering with us provides immediate access to a skilled CMC team with decades of experience across serotypes and production scales.

POSTERS

ATLAS: A High-Throughput Screening Platform For Optimizing AAV Production

To overcome manufacturing bottlenecks and reduce the high cost of gene therapies, our ATLAS platform has identified novel factors that boost rAAV9 production over 30-fold.
Development Of A Next-Generation AAV Helper Plasmid With Improved AAV9 Productivity

Enhancing AAV production efficiency is critical for expanding gene therapy applications — this optimized helper construct significantly boosts yield and potency.
Comparing Synthesis Processes To Establish rAAV Batch Quality

In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of various published and newly developed dsDNA conversion processes that were tested using the same sequencing chemistry.
Targeted CRISPR/Cas9 Screen Identifies Superior HEK293 Cell Lines For AAV9 Production

In this study, we developed a proprietary clonal suspension-adapted HEK293 cell line (AC001.230) through clonal isolation and high-throughput screening, resulting in improved productivity for 7 out of 10 AAV serotypes compared to 293F cells.
High-Throughput Screen Finds Targets To Boost AAV9 Production In HEK293 Cells

Take a look at the potential of this small molecule screening to enhance AAV9 production and improve gene therapy manufacturing efficiency by leveraging novel compounds.