Biotage has completed the acquisition of Astrea Bioseparations, a high-growth chromatography solutions provider from Gamma Biosciences, a life sciences tools platform created by KKR.

Astrea’s over 150 employees worldwide will join Biotage, and the company’s production sites in Cambridge, UK, Isle of Man, Boston, USA, and Joliette, Canada become an important part of Biotage’s global presence. 

Biotage’s expanded portfolio will now include chromatography resins, absorbents, and columns as well as nanofiber-based purification technologies, serving biologics and advanced therapeutic customers. This complements the company’s existing purification solutions predominantly targeting small molecules and synthetic therapeutics.

Tomas Blomquist, CEO and President at Biotage, said: “The acquisition of Astrea Bioseparations allows us to build a transformative platform company within chromatography targeting both small and large molecules. With Astrea’s expert team and broad product portfolio with a near-term pipeline of product launches we are now well-equipped to target biologics and the new modalities emerging in the biopharma industry.”

Terry Pizzie, CEO, Astrea Bioseparations, said: "Joining forces with Biotage marks an exciting chapter for Astrea Bioseparations. By combining the expertise of our teams alongside our innovative product offerings, we are well-positioned to drive novel breakthroughs in the chromatography sector. Together, we can provide comprehensive solutions to meet the evolving needs of the biopharma industry, particularly in the realm of biologics and advanced therapeutics. This collaboration opens up new avenues for growth and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional chromatography solutions."

Kieran Murphy and Kugan Sathiyanandarajah become new members of the Biotage board of directors. The appointments were approved at the Biotage annual general meeting held on 27 April 2023 and they were conditional upon the completion of the Astrea Bioseparations transaction.