Versant partners with AbCellera to arm startups with better antibodies

The next time a startup backed by Versant Ventures sets out to develop an antibody drug, it won’t be starting from scratch.

On Wednesday, Versant, a prolific backer of biotechnology companies, revealed a multi-year partnership with AbCellera, which specializes in discovering antibodies that make good candidates for development into medicines. Through the deal, new drugmakers launched by Versant can tap AbCellera to sift for antibodies matched to disease targets they select.