In October 2014 Cancer Research Technology (CRT) successfully launched Ximbio, a website created to enable the sharing of research tools within the global life science community. Twelve months on, Ximbio is used by researchers and technology transfer offices, life science companies and bench scientists across the globe.

The website, developed in less than four months, builds upon CRT’s extensive experience in the field; the Ximbio team has more than 25 years’ experience in commercialising reagents. Although the team previously focused on the commercialisation of tools generated by Cancer Research UK funded scientists, Ximbio now provides access to research tools focussed on all areas of biology, not just cancer.

What a difference a year makes….

Ximbio’s successes include:

  • The number of reagents in the Ximbio portfolio has increased by 42%, totalling over 1400 research tools
  • Over 20 research institutes from across the UK, Europe and USA use Ximbio to commercialise research tools
  • More than 2,500 references listed, linked to over 1,000 reagents
  • Extensive datasheets to support scientists when choosing reagents
  • Rapidly growing community of users
  • Ximbio’s website has been shortlisted for two major industry awards – Drum Awards for the Digital Industries (DADIs) and the BIMA awards.

Download the infographic

Learn more about what we’ve been doing over the last year, click here to view our “12 month review” infographic.

 

Ximbio Licensing Activity

Since the launch of Ximbio, the business development team has been very active, completing 48 licence agreements with 28 different biotech, pharma and research tool companies located across the USA, Europe and SE Asia. In total, 164 reagents have been licensed through these agreements.

The business development team has also worked to complete a number of supply agreements, providing three global distributors access to purified antibodies from the Ximbio catalogue and facilitating re-sale into the in vitro diagnostic and research tool markets.

Notable achievements include:

  • More than 50% increase in revenues from Small Molecule Tool Compounds versus the same 12 month period last year
  • Two licensing agreements and a number of bulk sales of a new antibody from the University of Nottingham within two months of its addition to the portfolio
  • Licensing agreement with Key Organics, a leading provider of biochemical products to the life science industry
  • Supply and licence agreement with Absolute Antibody which will result in the generation and addition of a suite of recombinant Ximbio antibodies

 

Expanding our portfolio

Ximbio has partnered with over 20 global institutes who are now commercialising their research tools through the website. The largest deposits of reagents to date have been from Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC) and The European Malaria Reagent Repository (The University of Edinburgh).

More recently, the Hospital for Special Surgery, based in New York USA, deposited 12 new polyclonal antibodies against various metalloproteases. The University of Manchester has added 7 new monoclonal antibodies against various cell surface targets. The University of Nottingham, has also contributed a monoclonal antibody to a site of nucleotide methylation. Ximbio is also working with the Babraham Institute and the Universities of Bath and Vienna to make their reagents more widely available.

 

The value of data

Scientists are becoming increasingly critical of the degree of validation of the research tools available to them. Ximbio is committed to both antibody reproducibility and open source information and we ensure that all new reagents listed on the website have supporting data or link to a peer reviewed journal article showing how the tool was created or validated.

 

The Ximbio team

As well as growth in our user base and product portfolio, in its first year the Ximbio team has grown from three to eight people. Headed by Melanie Hardman, Ximbio has recruited new members that bring extensive experience of working in the pharma, commercial life science, and technology transfer sectors. Read more about the team.

 

Have your say

Ximbio is continuously developing and growing based on feedback from our users. It is very important to the Ximbio team that any ongoing development is driven by the Ximbio community. Some recent examples include adding applications to references citing use of antibody clones and our recently added FAQ page. Contact us to share your experience.