With Xcellon Biologics, a Maryland CDMO focused on antibody-drug conjugates and advanced biologics, industry veteran Yuk Chun Chiu is betting on the state’s rising biotech hub to shape the future of complex therapeutics.
Global Career, Full Circle in Maryland
Chiu’s career began in Rockville with Human Genome Sciences before taking him to leadership roles at Amgen, Lonza, Sanofi, Bayer, and AstraZeneca. Along the way, he played a key role in technical support of blockbuster therapies like Enbrel to market, negotiated multi-million-dollar contracts, and led global engineering and manufacturing teams.
In 2020, he was a founding member of Wheeler Bio in Oklahoma City, helping transform it into a full CDMO with GMP capability to support clients from development through clinical supply. That experience showed him the impact a focused, science-driven CDMO can have on emerging biotech companies.
“After launching Wheeler, I reconnected with local biotech entrepreneurs Abhishake Chhibber and Thomas Haag from Linden Lake Labs, a life sciences platform based in Rockville, Maryland,” Chiu recalls. “We started discussing the need for a specialized CDMO focused on complex biologics like ADCs and T-cell engagers. That’s how Xcellon was born.”
Why Maryland? And Why Now?
For Chiu, returning to the BioHealth Capital Region is both personal and strategic.
“I started my career here 25 years ago. Coming back now, the transformation is breathtaking. The infrastructure, innovation, and talent pool have matured tremendously,” he says. “With Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, NIH, and FDA all nearby, the convergence of talent, research, and regulatory expertise makes this the ideal place to build.”
Compared to Boston or San Francisco, Chiu also sees Maryland as cost-effective yet deeply connected. “The GMP infrastructure is mature, and it’s straightforward to find scientists, engineers, and contractors who understand regulatory expectations. That makes scaling here much easier.”
Standing Out in a Crowded CDMO Market
The CDMO sector is competitive, with many players claiming broad capabilities. Chiu’s strategy is sharp focus on cutting-edge modalities.
“In our industry, differentiation is hard. Every CDMO says they can do it all. But what really matters is finding the one that fits each client’s unique needs,” he explains. “At Xcellon, our focus is on ADCs. These therapies combine the targeting precision of antibodies with the potency of chemotherapy, enabling precise delivery that minimizes damage to healthy tissue.”
The ADC field, however, is inherently complex. Success depends on aligning the right antibody with potent yet tolerable payloads and achieving precise, reproducible conjugation challenges that can stall even the most promising programs. Here, Xcellon’s founders and leadership team draw on their deep experience in developing and commercializing ADCs to make the company truly unique.
Xcellon’s toolbox of linker-payload and conjugation platforms gives clients flexible options to advance programs without starting from scratch. By integrating advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and digital process design, the company builds intelligence into every stage of development and manufacturing.
“Ultimately, Xcellon’s differentiation comes from clarity of focus,” Chiu said. “We’re creating a next-generation, end-to-end CDMO that integrates a purpose-built ADC toolbox, AI/ML-driven development, and deep scientific expertise to bring advanced biologics to patients faster and more reliably.”
Early Traction and Road Ahead
Xcellon officially launched in January 2025 and signed its first client within two weeks. Less than a year later, the company has a portfolio of 14 clients, including repeat programs, signaling strong demand for its ADC-first model.
“That early demand accelerated our timeline,” Chiu admits. “We’re now preparing to open our Maryland GMP manufacturing facility by early 2026. The fact that clients are already coming back is the strongest validation of our value proposition.”
For Chiu, building long-term trust is as important as technical capability. “Right now, we don’t even have a formal business development team. It’s just coffee meetings, calls, and introductions. The ideal client relationship becomes a partnership: one team, shared goals, open communication.”
A Signal of What’s Next
Xcellon Biologics represents more than a company launch. It signals how Maryland’s biotech sector is evolving.
At a time when many CDMOs compete as generalists, Xcellon’s focus on complex biologics, data-driven processes, and trust-based client relationships offers a refreshing counter-narrative.
“As demand for personalized, complex biologics rises, companies like Xcellon are showing what’s possible when technical depth meets regional momentum,” says Chiu. “Maryland is ready for the next phase of biomanufacturing leadership.”
Xcellon Biologics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Linden Lake Labs, a life sciences platform based in Rockville, Maryland.
