The acquisition adds advanced mass spectrometry capabilities to Clean Cells’ platform, broadening protein characterization support from earlystage biopharmaceutical development onward
Montaigu Vendée near Nantes, France, July 30, 2026 – Clean Cells, a leading biopharmaceutical quality control services provider specializing in biologics GMP testing and a member of the Clean Biologics Group, today announces its acquisition of Anaquant, a specialist in mass-spectrometry-based bioanalysis. Clean Cells takes entire ownership of Anaquant’s brand, intellectual property, proprietary mass spectrometry-based analytics platform, equipment and existing client relationships, strengthening Clean Cells’ capabilities in protein characterization, a critical requirement in biopharmaceutical quality control and regulatory readiness.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
“Anaquant is highly complementary to Clean Cells, bringing unique expertise that addresses a growing need in biopharmaceutical development. Protein characterization is a critical but often underestimated layer of biopharmaceutical quality control,” said Laurent Claisse, CEO of Clean Cells. “Anaquant has developed standardized mass spectrometry methods that are accessible to early-phase developers and generate valuable data from the earliest stages, laying the foundation for future regulatory submissions. Transferring this expertise to Clean Cells strengthens our analytical platform and gives our clients access to a level of protein characterization previously out of their reach. This is exactly the kind of scientific depth we want to build into the group. »
Under the deal, Clean Cells also obtains Anaquant’s ReadyBeads™ technology (patented 2017). This is a proprietary reference standard product line for Host Cell Protein (HCP) profiling and targeted quantification of drug product specific HCPs. It covers a range of biopharmaceutical applications: monoclonal antibodies, phages, recombinant proteins and viral vectors (AAV/Adeno-Associated Virus, Lentivirus, baculovirus). HCPs are residual impurities from the manufacturing process that require increasingly sophisticated analytical methods to support product quality and regulatory approval. The addition of ReadyBeads, a commercially proven technology used worldwide, will enable Clean Cells to help clients generate more robust datasets that strengthen regulatory submission.
The acquisition creates an end-to-end analytical offering for Clean Cells, spanning from early-stage method development through to GMP-grade release testing. Anaquant, based in Lyon, France, anchors the upstream research and development phase with protein characterization method development and validation, while Clean Cells assumes responsibility for GMP testing as programs progress toward regulatory submission. It brings Anaquant’s team into Clean Cells, with its founder Tanguy Fortin continuing to lead the protein analytics activity. The result is continuous analytical support, consistent data and a single partner for the client through the most critical stages of development.
« Anaquant was built on the idea that mass spectrometry-based protein characterization should be as accessible and as reliable as any other standard quality control method in biopharmaceutical development. Over the years, we have proven that the technology works and that we can provide our clients with valuable data for their programs. Joining Clean Cells means we can now take this a step further. The GMP infrastructure and commercial reach that Clean Cells brings are exactly what we need to serve clients across the full development lifecycle, not just at the research stage, » said Tanguy Fortin, CEO and founder of Anaquant.
« Anaquant fits our acquisition criteria closely: differentiated technology, a recurring client base, and a market position strengthened by the regulatory push toward more rigorous HCP testing methods – a trend that is materially broadening the addressable market for mass spectrometry-based protein analytics. Integrating Anaquant with Clean Cells’ GMP platform allows us to capture that expanding opportunity while delivering a fully integrated service continuum to clients,” added Ludovic Alonzi, partner at ARCHIMED, the healthcare specialized private equity firm and Clean Cells’ majority shareholder.
The timing of the acquisition aligns with growing demand for advanced protein characterization. Evolving regulatory expectations are driving broader adaption of mass spectrometry alongside conventional ELISA-based (antibody) HCP testing to generate more comprehensive analytical data.