Brink Biologics

Brink Biologics, Inc. (BBI) is a biotechnology solutions company based in the Torrey Pines biotechnology science park in San Diego, California. It describes itself as "the NK-92 assay company" and holds the exclusive non-clinical rights to the NK-92 cell line and its CD16-expressing derivatives, positioning itself as the exclusive global provider of the NK-92 cell line and its variants, Neukopanel cell panels, Neukopanel testing services, and sublicenses within the life sciences and device industries. The cell lines are natural killer cell lines derived from a single source, established in stable cultures under GLP and cGMP conditions and further modified into distinct panels suited to a range of laboratory testing applications.

The Neukopanel portfolio includes both CD16-free and CD16-expressing NK-92 lines, offered in GLP and research grades. Named variants include aNK and MI-aNK cells (direct, contact-dependent killing; MI-aNK transfected with human IL-2 cDNA in the retroviral MFG-hIL-2 vector), haNK and laNK cells (high- and low-affinity CD16 receptors for antibody-mediated killing), and taNK cells (chimeric antigen receptor-directed killing). Applications span antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cell-mediated viral inhibition and cytokine release assays; uses cited include non-commercial academic research, commercial research (target validation, discovery, screening, selection and development) and commercial manufacturing activities such as regulatory data generation, activity, immunogenicity, stability, potency and batch/lot release testing. Product classes supported include monoclonal antibodies, biosimilars, mini-bodies and bi-specific binders, bi- and tri-specific fusion proteins, cytokines, biologically active peptides, small molecules, immune modulators, checkpoint binders and inhibitors, anti-viral and dendritic cell vaccines, high-throughput screening of biological libraries, clinical sample immunogenicity testing, transfection system validation and laboratory equipment calibration.

The company is described as an affiliate of ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX) on its current site; earlier company press releases (2019-2020) describe it as a NantKwest, Inc. (NASDAQ: NK) affiliate and exclusively licensed distributor of NantKwest's off-the-shelf NK-92 natural killer cells in certain fields. Barry Simon, M.D., is identified as CEO of Brink Biologics (and, as of 2020, President of NantKwest).

Business model

Brink Biologics licenses access to its proprietary NK-92 and Neukopanel cell lines to academic, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and device organizations, and also provides Neukopanel testing services and sublicenses. Licensing follows a defined process: submission of a request form, execution of an NDA, review of a term sheet, negotiation and signature of the license with payment of fees, delivery of cells under license, and subsequent technical support and research services. The company states it offers complimentary informational and limited technical support services alongside its Neukopanel cell lines, and that it makes its bioanalytical testing solutions available through standard licensing agreements using market-driven terms.

License fees for use of the NK-92 cell line and Neukopanel cell panels, sublicensing within the life sciences and device industry, and fee-based Neukopanel testing and research services.

Traction

Named license agreements include Fresenius Kabi SwissBioSim GmbH (September 2020) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (May 2019). The company states its cell lines appear in over 200 publications, citing examples such as Schnueriger et al. (2011) in Molecular Immunology on a quantitative cell-line based ADCC assay and Binyamin et al. (2008), and references a base of current and past pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients worldwide.

Latest developments

In September 2020 the company announced the licensing of its next-generation natural killer-based bioanalytical testing solution to Fresenius Kabi SwissBioSim GmbH, a Switzerland-based healthcare company focused on autoimmune diseases and oncology. The company's website now identifies its affiliate as ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX) rather than NantKwest.