Dortmund, Germany and Vienna, Austria, July 14, 2011 / B3C newswire / - Vela Laboratories, Vienna, one of the leading companies in the area of GMP-compliant potency and release testing of Biopharmaceuticals, and Protagen AG,Dortmund – a GMP-certified specialist in the characterization of protein drugs – form a strategic alliance in customer-based analytics and marketing & sales.

“The fast growing demand for Comparability of Biologics needs creative steps and business models. Protagen and VELA are internationally renowned and well-established contract research labs for complete characterization of Biopharmaceuticals and Biosimilars, and both companies belong to the leading providers of ICH-compliant analytical services. Our customers will benefit from this alliance through more efficient project work and study design,” states Dr. Markus Fido, CEO of VELA Laboratories.

“The technology portfolio and the exceptional expertise of VELA in the area of bioassays for potency determination of therapeutic antibodies, growth factors and protein hormones, will synergistically complement the experience and competences of Protagen. Our customers in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector as well as CROs and CMOs will profit from this alliance through the direct access to a comprehensive service portfolio,” comments Dr. Stefan Müllner, CEO of Protagen AG.

About Protagen AG

Protagen AG is an international leading specialist in the fields of in-vitro diagnostics and GMP-compliant protein analysis. The innovations of Protagen are UNIarray®, a technology platform for the development of novel serum-based diagnostics, as well as UNIchip®, a versatile product family of protein microarrays for faster development of antibodies.

About Vela Laboratories

Vela Laboratories is a world-wide acting, GMP-certified contract laboratory that offers in-depth analytical services for proteins. Combining a focused, customer-orientated approach, a highly motivated team and a broad expertise in analytical development and Quality Control, Vela Laboratories is dedicated to support the customer's needs from research activities to clinical phases and up to product commercialization.