SapioCon 2025 was filled with excitement and innovative ideas. While many presentations offered glimpses into the future of scientific advancement, Kevin Malabre’s keynote on Oxford Biomedica’s (OXB) digital transformation journey was a prime example of digitalization in action. Having a keen interest in the impact of digitalization on laboratory operations, I was eager to learn how Sapio Sciences’ platform was helping OXB deliver life-changing therapies to patients.

Oxford Biomedica—A legacy of innovation

Kevin, Senior Scientist in OXB’s process development department, began by tracing the company’s history, from its humble beginnings as a spin-out from Oxford University in 1995 to its current status as a global leader in lentiviral vector technology. It was fascinating to hear how their pioneering work led to the commercialization of the first CAR-T treatment, Kymriah, in partnership with Novartis.

What truly impressed me was OXB’s rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their ability to scale up production of the Oxford University vaccine and manufacture over 100 million doses for AstraZeneca speaks volumes about their agility and commitment to global health. With sites now spanning across the US and Europe, and with GMP facilities approved by the US Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA), the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and the European Union’s European Medicines Agency (EMA), OXB has firmly established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the biopharmaceutical landscape.

The process development challenge

Kevin touched on the unique challenges of balancing innovation with the stringent regulation requirements of drug manufacturing. His team bridges these two worlds, adapting their approach to each project.

However, the real eye opener was the discussion of OXB’s historical data management issues. As a 30-year-old company, they were grappling with outdated, paper-based record systems. The sheer volume of documentation—approximately 70 pages per experiment—was staggering! This reliance on paper consumed valuable scientist time with manual checking and resulted in fragmented data storage across SharePoint, Teams channels, and local servers. The difficulty of finding specific documents was a major bottleneck, hindering collaboration and slowing down progress.

Kevin articulated the critical need for a digital solution that could provide a structured data format, an intuitive interface, and flexible workflows. This need was becoming a recurring theme at SapioCon 2025.

The Sapio Solution—A unanimous choice

The story of OXB’s electronic lab notebook (ELN) evaluation process was particularly compelling. The company spent two years (2021–2023) evaluating ELN software! Starting with eight platforms, they narrowed it down to three before discovering Sapio Sciences relatively late in the game. Despite the late entry, Sapio quickly emerged as the clear frontrunner, winning a unanimous decision from the evaluation team.

Kevin emphasized that Sapio’s platform was uniquely suited to meet OXB’s specific needs and requirements for process development. I found this particularly insightful, as it highlights the importance of finding an ELN solution tailored to the specific needs of an organization, rather than trying to force a one-size-fits-all approach.

A three-pronged, agile implementation strategy

The implementation of the Sapio platform at OXB followed an agile, two-week sprint methodology. What’s truly remarkable is that they went from project kickoff to the first digital workflow in the lab in just six months. This rapid deployment is a testament to the collaborative spirit between OXB and Sapio, as well as the flexibility and ease of use of the Sapio platform.

OXB’s implementation strategy involved three distinct environments: development, quality assurance (QA), and production. This approach allowed them to continuously improve workflows without disrupting ongoing operations.

  • Development environment: Two IT staff trained by Sapio Sciences had a dedicated space for developing and enhancing workflows in-house.
  • QA environment: Subject-matter experts (SMEs) dedicated 20% of their time to rigorously testing workflows and ensuring functionality.
  • Production environment: End users tested workflows in the lab, providing real-time feedback that was subsequently incorporated by the SMEs.

This thoughtful approach to implementation, combining technical expertise with user feedback, is a best practice that organizations can learn from.

Tangible results and plans for the future

Kevin shared several compelling examples of how Sapio has transformed OXB’s operations. The migration of their cell bank database from a broken Excel spreadsheet to Sapio was a major win, with all the information digitized and structured. The integration of a stock management system for reagent tracking has also streamlined inventory management.

One particularly impressive example was the automation of cell counter data. By standardizing sample naming and automatically parsing data, OXB was able to identify media lot issues in minutes instead of hours or days. This real-world impact demonstrates the power of the Sapio platform to not only improve efficiency but also enhance the quality and reliability of scientific data.

Looking ahead, OXB has ambitious plans for expanding its Sapio implementation. These include:

  • Extending the number of users across all locations (US and France).
  • Completing missing workflows (including 250-scale production).
  • Transitioning all new client data to be stored in Sapio.
  • Integrating analytics and analytics assets into Sapio.

The goals highlight OXB’s commitment to making the Sapio platform a central part of their scientific infrastructure.

Key takeaways—Why digitalization is essential for biopharma

OXB’s journey underscores several critical lessons for organizations still relying on paper-based or fragmented digital systems:

  • Legacy systems aren’t just inconvenient; they actively slow progress. When scientists spend more time managing paperwork than conducting research, innovation suffers.
  • User-friendly, flexible LIMS platforms drive adoption. A system must adapt to scientists’ needs—not the other way around.
  • Agile implementation ensures long-term success. Continuous feedback loops and phased rollouts prevent large-scale failures.

The bottom line—Delivering life-changing therapies

Kevin concluded his presentation by emphasizing the ultimate goal of implementing the Sapio platform: to enhance OXB’s capacity to deliver life-changing therapies to patients. By streamlining workflows, improving data accessibility, and reducing manual checks, Sapio is helping OXB accelerate its R&D efforts.

The results speak for themselves: OXB has created 78 experiments in the Sapio platform, equivalent to 1,380 pages of data collection saved! This is a clear indication of the efficiency gains that can be achieved through digital transformation. OXB is setting a new standard for how process development should be managed in the modern era.

I was inspired by OXB’s journey and impressed by the impact of the Sapio platform. OXB’s rapid and successful implementation of Sapio LIMS software is a testament to what’s possible when biotech and pharma companies commit to digital transformation. For organizations still hesitant to make the switch, OXB’s story provides a compelling argument: The faster you move away from outdated systems, the faster you can deliver groundbreaking therapies to patients.