2026: The Era of Co-development in Biopharma Industry

• Co-development is emerging as a defining model in biopharma innovation in 2026, shifting the industry from transactional service relationships toward integrated partnerships based on shared expertise, responsibility and long-term value creation.
• Mabion’s collaborations with partners and clients such as Sartorius, IBMP, NovalGen, WPD Pharmaceuticals, KriSan Biotech, Celon Pharma, SyVento and Oddifact illustrate this strategic direction, covering areas including next-generation biologics, biosimilars, ADCs, rare diseases and AI-supported indication discovery.
• While data, technology and operational excellence remain essential, the article emphasizes that trust, human relationships and authentic cooperation are the true foundation of progress in bringing complex therapies closer to patients.

Co-development model in biopharma industry

If I were to name the year 2026, it would not be the ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence’, the ‘Data Boom’ or any other label focusing solely on technology. I would call it the year of co-development – a collaborative approach that redefines how medical innovations reach patients.

In the biopharma industry, we are naturally surrounded by metrics. We track clinical trial milestones, commercial scaling, statistical significance, process robustness, regulatory readiness and quality systems. These parameters are of fundamental importance, without them, there is no sound science or safe manufacturing. However, over the last few years, we have also learnt where the limits of optimisation itself lie. We have built faster processes and automated communication, but somewhere along the way, the tools designed to bring us closer together began to create distance. Collaboration has become transactional, and relationships, all too often, purely procedural.

We are currently witnessing a quiet but crucial shift. As professionals, we understand that error-free AI-generated content or sterile presentations are merely tools, not the ultimate goal. We are seeking not less technology, but more meaning in how we use it. We are returning to authentic human relationships that build trust and enable us to transform complex ideas into real therapeutic solutions.

From competition to integrated ecosystems

In the biopharma industry, this shift is particularly evident. A molecule does not make the journey from concept to clinic through the isolated work of a single company. It requires scientific insight, analytical precision, manufacturing discipline and regulatory awareness. For years, a simple model prevailed: one party commissioned a service, the other provided data. Today, the future is far more integrated. The strongest partnerships are based on complementary expertise and shared responsibility. It is precisely in such conditions that co-development in biopharma flourishes.

This is not merely a theoretical trend. You can see it in the direction Mabion is taking in last years:

• Sartorius and Mabion: Our strategic collaboration demonstrates how complementary competencies create an integrated development pathway. By combining expertise in cell line development and upstream processes with our knowledge of analytics and GMP manufacturing, we are moving away from fragmented services towards integrated development ecosystems.
• Collaboration with IBMP: This is an example of an international partnership in which Mabion is participating in the development of a biosimilar, encompassing technology transfer and the production of clinical material. It reminds us that health challenges are global, and progress depends on combining expertise across borders and institutions.
• NovalGen and NVG-222: By supporting the development pathway of this next-generation drug (T-cell engager), we have demonstrated how CDMO expertise helps innovative immunotherapies progress from scientific promise to initial human trials.
• Evolution with WPD Pharmaceuticals: This relationship, which began with analytics for an protein-drug conjugate candidate, has evolved towards plans for the joint development of innovative molecules. In an area as complex as PDCs, value is created through a comprehensive understanding of the platform and the molecule.

Building new avenues of cooperation

In accordance with the communication rules for public companies, we are closely monitoring new initiatives that are currently at the stage of exploring mutual opportunities:

• KriSan Biotech: In June 2026, Mabion signed a letter of intent under which both parties are exploring opportunities for collaboration in the field of ADCs. This is a strategic step towards expanding our expertise in modern conjugates, combining our partner’s global experience with our own manufacturing and analytical capabilities.
• Celon Pharma: Together, we plan to initiate collaboration on an integrated ADC product development model, combining Mabion’s strengths in protein manufacturing and analytics with Celon Pharma’s expertise in linker and bioconjugation technologies.
• SyVento: In the area of aseptic filling and finishing, we are exploring the potential for joint activities, which would enable us to offer customers an even more comprehensive supply chain.
• Oddifact: This is one of the most significant initiatives of 2026. Based on the signed letter of intent, both companies are exploring a new pathway for the MabionCD20 project in the field of rare diseases. Using Oddifact’s AI platform to identify new clinical indications, we are aiming for a model based on joint development and sharing of future value.

Bringing the purpose back to the laboratory and the boardroom

Data and technology are powerful accelerators, but they are not the anchor of our industry. The human factor remains the anchor. Co-development in biopharma relies on it. Behind every method transfer, GMP batch or conjugation strategy are people: scientists, engineers, quality experts and business partners. This chain of decision-making only works when it is based on trust.

As we enter the second half of 2026, I believe we will spend less time on impersonal communications and more on building relationships that enable real progress. Because ultimately, the deepest dimension of our work stems not only from the numbers on charts, but from the relationships we build whilst working to change people’s lives.

Prepared by:

Marika Michorowska

PR & Marketing Specialist

m.michorowska@mabion.eu

Marika Michorowska

PR & Marketing Specialist

Marika Michorowska is a PR & Marketing Specialist. She is involved in marketing communication, content creation and activities supporting the Mabion’s external visibility. She is responsible for preparing press releases and leads the Faces of Mabion campaign, highlighting the people, expertise and human stories behind the company’s development.

Her current focus is on presenting Mabion as a brand whose greatest value lies in its human potential, the knowledge, commitment and everyday work of the people who shape the Company’s growth. In her professional interests, she focuses primarily on the Human Touch marketing approach and CSR activities in corporate strategies and business operations, areas that emphasize authentic relationships, trust, social responsibility and the human dimension of communication in a world increasingly shaped by technology, data and automation.