Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. and Virica Biotech Inc. announced a strategic partnership to enhance each company’s adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy manufacturing platforms. This collaboration aims to tackle one of the major barriers to the widespread adoption of AAV-based gene therapies: the high cost of manufacturing.
A combined offering will leverage the advanced capabilities of Ginkgo's AAV Services for Gene Therapy and Virica's proprietary VSE™ enhancer platform to offer innovators services and products to enhance AAV production titers and quality to reduce production costs and make gene therapies more accessible to patients.
"Our collaboration with Virica Biotech aligns perfectly with Ginkgo’s mission to provide innovative solutions to the gene therapy industry,” said Narendra Maheshri, VP, Genetic Medicines, Ginkgo Bioworks. “We’re excited to combine our proprietary HEKMo cell line, along with our proprietary innovations in plasmid engineering, with the exciting addition of VSEs. By integrating our high-throughput screening capabilities with Virica’s proprietary VSEs, we are well-positioned to drive down the costs of AAV manufacturing and provide a unique one-stop solution to our partners.”
Virica Biotech, a pioneer in the development of small molecule enhancers known as Viral Sensitizers (VSE™s), will provide to Ginkgo a panel of VSEs for use in high-throughput AAV production screening for Ginkgo’s clients. Ginkgo's advanced screening platform allows for rapid testing of VSEs directly in clients’ cell lines, providing valuable insights into how these molecules will perform at larger scales. The synergistic impact of VSEs with cell line modifications, novel plasmid constructs, and optimal bioprocess will provide Ginkgo’s partners with a holistic solution to enhance AAV production efficiency.
"Partnering with Ginkgo allows us to expand our capacity by leveraging their advanced screening and manufacturing capabilities, which are critical for rapidly identifying the most effective combination of VSEs for AAV production,” said Jean-Simon Diallo, CEO of Virica Biotech. “This partnership will enhance our ability to bring high-impact VSE solutions to market faster and also reinforces our commitment to improving the accessibility of gene therapies worldwide."
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