Valion Bio Reports Initial BioScan-NMR Feasibility Evaluation with LarmorBio
Velocity Bioworks, Valion Bio’s wholly owned biologics CDMO subsidiary, completed an initial feasibility evaluation of LarmorBio’s BioScan-NMR platform, with results supporting further development work.
Valion Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:VBIO) and LarmorBio, Inc. said on October 15, 2026 that Valion’s wholly owned subsidiary, Velocity Bioworks, had completed an initial feasibility evaluation of LarmorBio’s BioScan-NMR™ platform. The companies said the work produced data supporting continued development of the technology for monitoring microbial growth during fermentation.
Velocity Bioworks conducted the evaluation as part of its biologics contract development and manufacturing activities. The assessment found a strong relationship between the signal recorded by BioScan-NMR™ and optical density at 600 nm, known as OD600, a measurement used to estimate cell density in liquid cultures.
Valion said the findings indicate that nuclear magnetic resonance measurements have the potential to follow microbial growth during a fermentation process. The company described the work as an early-stage proof-of-concept, rather than a final demonstration of the platform’s capabilities.
The milestone was reached less than six months after Valion Bio secured exclusive rights to LarmorBio’s next-generation NMR technology.
LarmorBio is developing BioScan-NMR™ as process analytical technology for biologics manufacturing. The platform is intended to support continuous, real-time and non-invasive monitoring of biological characteristics in bioreactors, including cell size, density, viability and phenotype.
The companies said the technology is being developed to provide closed-system measurements and potentially reduce reliance on repeated offline sampling. Valion said this approach could help preserve the sterile barrier while providing information associated with media composition, the fermenter environment, process conditions and potentially product-related attributes.
Valion also identified earlier detection of process deviations, a lower risk of batch failures, reduced manufacturing costs and more consistent and efficient production as potential uses of the platform. These remain potential benefits under development and were not presented as outcomes established by the initial evaluation.
Dean Zikria, Valion Bio’s interim chief executive officer, said the company viewed the milestone as progress in adding differentiated technology to Velocity Bioworks’ bioprocessing capabilities. He also said the initial results encouraged the company to continue examining the platform.
Zikria said further work would be required to establish whether BioScan-NMR™ can reliably monitor additional critical process attributes in a closed system. The company said the next development activities will include assessing the platform’s closed-system and continuous-monitoring capabilities.
Velocity Bioworks is Valion Bio’s wholly owned biologics contract development and manufacturing organization. It provides development and manufacturing services for Valion’s internal pipeline, with objectives that include increasing manufacturing control, reducing costs, accelerating development timelines and strengthening domestic supply-chain security.
LarmorBio describes BioScan-NMR™ as a microscale NMR system being developed for rapid, label-free phenotyping of live cells and micro-sized biological samples. The company’s stated application areas include bioprocessing, cell and gene therapy development and clinical diagnostics.
Valion Bio is developing biologics intended to activate innate immune pathways for cytoprotection and modulate immune responses in conditions associated with radiation, disease and immune dysregulation. Its lead candidate is Entolimod, and the company is also advancing Entolasta alongside potential programmes in neutropenia and immune dysfunction.
Valion Bio and LarmorBio announced that Velocity Bioworks, Valion Bio’s wholly owned biologics contract development and manufacturing organisation subsidiary, had successfully completed an initial feasibility evaluation of LarmorBio’s BioScan-NMR™ platform. The evaluation generated data supporting the continued development of continuous, real-time and non-invasive bioprocess monitoring.
Valion Bio announced the milestone on October 15, 2026. The company said it was achieved less than six months after Valion Bio secured exclusive rights to LarmorBio’s next-generation NMR technology.
The initial feasibility evaluation demonstrated that nuclear magnetic resonance measurements have the potential to track microbial growth during a fermentation process. The evaluation also captured a strong correlation between the BioScan-NMR™ signal and optical density at 600 nm, or OD600, a measurement used to estimate cell density in liquid cultures.
LarmorBio is developing BioScan-NMR™ as a process analytical technology for biologics manufacturing and as a platform for rapid, label-free phenotyping of live cells and micro-sized biological samples. The system is designed to provide real-time, continuous and non-invasive visibility into parameters including cell size, density, viability and phenotype within bioreactors.
Valion Bio said the technology is being developed to provide closed-system measurements that could reduce reliance on routine offline sampling and potentially preserve the sterile barrier. The company said it could provide information relating to media composition, the fermenter environment, process conditions and potentially product-related attributes, although the project remains an early-stage proof-of-concept.
Valion Bio said the platform has the potential to detect process deviations earlier, reduce the risk of batch failures, lower manufacturing costs and enable more consistent and efficient production. These are potential benefits described by the company rather than reported outcomes from the initial evaluation.
Dean Zikria, Valion Bio’s interim chief executive officer, said the milestone represented what the company believed was meaningful progress in bringing differentiated technology into its bioprocessing capabilities. He also said Valion Bio was encouraged by the initial achievement and the potential for BioScan-NMR™ to further differentiate Velocity Bioworks.
Valion Bio described the project as an early-stage proof-of-concept and said the initial results were encouraging rather than conclusive. The company said subsequent development work would need to confirm whether BioScan-NMR™ can reliably monitor additional critical process attributes in a closed system.
Velocity Bioworks intends to use the initial feasibility results to inform subsequent development activities. These activities will include assessing the platform’s closed-system and continuous-monitoring capabilities.
Velocity Bioworks is Valion Bio’s wholly owned biologics contract development and manufacturing organisation subsidiary. It provides development and manufacturing services to support Valion Bio’s internal pipeline, with the objective of increasing manufacturing control, reducing costs, accelerating development timelines and strengthening domestic supply-chain security.
Valion Bio is developing biologics that activate innate immune pathways for cytoprotection and modulate immune responses in conditions driven by radiation, disease and immune dysregulation. Its lead candidate is Entolimod, while the company is also advancing Entolasta and potential programmes in neutropenia and immune dysfunction.
Valion Bio’s shares trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol NASDAQ:VBIO.