The purchase, the price of which was undisclosed, would see the protein technology incorporated into Lonza's Biopharmaceuticals Mammalian R&D business unit, forming a new function, entitled Advanced Protein Technologies.
Aggresolve technology is a comprehensive in silico - performed on a computer or via computer simulation - protein analysis platform which can be applied to solve the problems of protein aggregation.
Protein aggregation is a commonly occurring phenomenon where proteins fail to fold correctly. In the body, mis-folded proteins can cause a range of diseases known as amyloidoses.
But it is in the area of bioengineering therapeutic proteins in the lab for the development of drugs where protein aggregation can be most problematic.
The aggresolve technology, developed in collaboration with scientists at the University of Cambridge, aims to predict protein design and aggregation which can lead to selecting or engineering proteins that would not have the aggregation problem.
The technology can screen large libraries of sequences, suggest sequence changes to reduce aggregation to create new protein variants and designs specific aggregation inhibitors and stabilizers to be used in formulations if the protein can not be re-engineered.
The changes suggested would be compatible with the maintenance of the thermodynamic stability, structural integrity and biological activity of the protein.
"We are excited having this new technology in our portfolio as it brings out R&D services one step further. Aggresolve will be made available worldwide for the benefit of our customers," Lonza head of Biopharmaceuticals Dr Stephan Kutzer said in a statement.
The acquisition marks Lonza's move to expand its technological base and strengthen its biopharmaceutical industry segment, effectively taking a part in the market which is estimated to be worth $52.2bn (€38.2bn) by 2010.
Lonza spokesman Dominik Werner told in-PharmaTechnologist.com the technology would be used for both Lonza's development pipelines and for contract manufacturing clients.
The technology was most significant for drug discovery and the development of second-generation biotherapeutics with enhanced properties.
The technology involves a number of software modules.
The Advanced Protein Technologies unit would be operated out of Zyentia's laboratories based in Cambridge, but could be used at a number of sites worldwide.
The acquisition was effective as of 31 July.