Agilent Announces Acquisition of e-MSion, Early-Stage Company Behind ECD Technology that Helps Accelerate Drug Development

By: Agilent Technologies Inc. via Business Wire

March 09, 2023 at 14:10 PM EST

Acquisition will make electron capture dissociation (ECD) technology available to more biopharma researchers and labs globally

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the acquisition of e-MSion, an early-stage company behind the innovative electron capture dissociation (ECD) technology known as the ExD cell.

The ExD cell is a compact device for mass spectrometers that enables biological researchers to develop biotherapeutic products more quickly to treat disease. This is done by more comprehensively and precisely breaking the chemical bonds of complex biomolecules, enabling more complete, accurate, and detailed structural information to be obtained from them.

“The talented team at e-MSion has created an important technology in accelerating biopharma development,” said Jacob Thaysen, president of Agilent’s Life Sciences and Applied Markets Group (LSAG). “We are excited to integrate the ExD cell into our portfolio of advanced workflows, instruments, and analytical solutions for biotherapeutic characterization and development. Our customers will see tangible benefits from these unmatched capabilities.”

The ExD cell is compatible with instruments common in many labs, such as Agilent’s 6500 LC/Q-TOF series, which will make this powerful characterization technology—previously limited to only a few high-end mass spectrometers—more accessible to a larger share of labs and biopharma researchers worldwide.

In more technical terms, the ExD cell enables electron capture dissociation (ECD) and other modes of electron-induced fragmentation in benchtop mass spectrometers. Because of its superior characterization of larger proteins, protein fragments, and their amino-acid modifications, ECD is preferred over other dissociation techniques including collision-induced dissociation (CID), which is the dominant methodology used today.

Agilent has worked closely with e-MSion for several years and has offered the company’s ExD cell technology with its 6500 series since 2019. e-MSion was founded by Oregon State University scientists, who developed the ExD cell.

“Joining Agilent will enable seamless integration of innovative e-MSion ExD technology, data analysis, and visualization tools with Agilent’s powerful LC-QTOF instrumentation to more completely analyze macromolecules and to accelerate biopharma therapeutic discovery and development,” said Joe Beckman, president and CEO of e-MSion.

The acquisition complements Agilent’s growing biopharma solutions, including new oligonucleotide analysis software for biopharma research, broader offerings for GPC/SEC polymer analysis, the AssayMAP Bravo Protein Sample Prep Workbench 4.0, and investments in therapeutic oligonucleotide manufacturing. Learn more about Agilent’s biopharma solutions on Agilent.com.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global leader in the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets, delivering insight and innovation that help our customers bring great science to life. Agilent’s full range of solutions includes instruments, software, services, and expertise that provide trusted answers to our customers' most challenging questions. The company generated revenue of $6.85 billion in fiscal 2022 and employs 18,000 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com. To receive the latest Agilent news, subscribe to the Agilent Newsroom. Follow Agilent on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. The forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the capabilities the manufacturing capacity expansion brings and the assets’ future uses. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause Agilent’s results to differ materially from management’s current expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, unforeseen changes in the strength of Agilent’s customers’ businesses; unforeseen changes in the demand for current and new products, technologies, and services; unforeseen changes in the currency markets; and customer purchasing decisions and timing. In addition, other risks that Agilent faces in running its operations include the ability to execute successfully through business cycles; the ability to meet and achieve the benefits of its cost-reduction goals and otherwise successfully adapt its cost structures to continuing changes in business conditions; ongoing competitive, pricing and gross-margin pressures; the risk that its cost-cutting initiatives will impair its ability to develop products and remain competitive and to operate effectively; the impact of geopolitical uncertainties and global economic conditions on its operations, its markets and its ability to conduct business; the ability to improve asset performance to adapt to changes in demand; the ability of its supply chain to adapt to changes in demand; the ability to successfully introduce new products at the right time, price and mix; the ability of Agilent to successfully integrate recent acquisitions; the ability of Agilent to successfully comply with certain complex regulations; the adverse impacts of and risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; and other risks detailed in Agilent’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2022. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of Agilent’s management and on currently available information. Agilent undertakes no responsibility to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230309005669/en/

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Sarah Litton

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sarah.litton@agilent.com

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Agilent Announces Acquisition of e-MSion, Early-Stage Company Behind ECD Technology that Helps Accelerate Drug Development

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