CHO Plus was awarded a project agreement from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s (BARDA) Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Preparedness Consortium (BioMaP-Consortium) for up to $10.4 million for developing high productivity Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines to manufacture filovirus monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic use over a 30-month period. The agreement has a base period and two option periods.
“We are pleased to receive this project agreement award from BARDA which involves using our engineered cell lines to produce monoclonal antibodies against highly contagious and lethal filoviruses,” stated Lawrence Forman, founder and CEO of CHO Plus.
In addition to cell line development, CHO Plus will be partnering with Avid Bioservices to scale up monoclonal antibody production for eventual industrial scale requirements.
BTI Accelerator
Two months ago, BioTools Innovator (BTI) selected CHO Plus for the 2025 BTI Accelerator, which focuses exclusively on life science tools and diagnostics companies. Chosen from over 400 applicants, CHO Plus is among 31 startups to earn a spot in this year’s cohort.
BTI, which supports early-stage and emerging growth companies through mentorship, visibility, and non-dilutive funding opportunities, provides a four-month accelerator program offering tailored mentorship from senior industry leaders, investor exposure, and networking opportunities across the global life science community. At the end of the program, companies will compete for $300,000 in non-dilutive cash prizes.
“This opportunity will help us accelerate the development and commercialization of our high-productivity cell lines for biologics production,” said Lawrence Forman.
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