| In an exciting new series highlighting the remarkable companies within our Illinois life sciences community, we’re pleased to feature Sword Bio, a success story that emerged from the Illinois Medical District (IMD). In a recent conversation with CEO David Dingott, we learned about the company’s impressive evolution and its commitment to advancing bioanalytical services in the region. In 2017, Sword Bio began selling a breakthrough technology that provides superior accuracy, precision, and sensitivity for pharmaceutical and biotech companies over classic plate-based methods. What started as a niche provider for tackling challenging assays to major pharmaceutical companies has transformed into a bioanalytical contract research organization (CRO) that is a trusted partner for immunogenicity, PK and biomarker services. The company’s growth trajectory accelerated significantly in 2023 with the strategic addition of industry veterans Matt Langevin and David Osband to its leadership team. Langevin, who co-founded Bioagilytix, joined as COO, while Osband stepped in as EVP of Sales and Marketing. Under their guidance, Sword Bio expanded its quality systems to achieve GLP/GCP/GCLP compliance and broadened its bioanalytical capabilities to support both preclinical and clinical trial work. This expansion has driven impressive results, with the company on track to double its revenue for the second consecutive year. What sets Sword Bio apart in the increasingly consolidated CRO landscape is its commitment to personalized service and scientific excellence. The company has deliberately structured its operations to address two common industry pain points: lengthy project start times and fragmented communication. By maintaining predictive hiring practices and ensuring principal investigators stay with projects from development through testing, Sword Bio delivers both speed and continuity for its clients. Chicago’s vibrant life sciences ecosystem has played a crucial role in Sword Bio’s success. “Chicago provides a great mix of affordability compared to Boston or the West Coast, with the city being extremely attractive to the younger scientists that are the lifeblood of hands-on lab work,” notes Dingott. The city’s extensive transportation connections and growing life sciences community have created an ideal environment for the company’s expansion. Recently, Sword Bio strengthened its scientific leadership with the addition of Dr. Binodh DeSilva to its board, signaling its continued commitment to scientific excellence and service expansion. The company remains dedicated to being a trusted extension of their customers’ laboratories while maintaining their position as a scientific leader in the field. | 
