Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services has concluded a process that will allow the CDMO to operate in the gene therapy space. The company has fully integrated oligonucleotides producer GeneDesign into its operations.
GeneDesign was acquired by Ajinomoto Co. in 2017 but now will be under the control of its small- and large-molecule API producer, Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services. The deal comes as GeneDesign has completed a 2,000-square-meter facility that allows it to expand its synthesis and supply of the DNA and RNA molecules up to 10 kg.
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“The integration of GeneDesign into Aji Bio-Pharma allows us to more seamlessly support our biopharmaceutical customers globally with a wide range of service offerings in one consolidated supply chain,” Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services CEO David Enloe said in a statement.
Gene Design’s new facility at its Osaka campus has space for manufacturing oligonucleotide APIs as well as to custom synthesize heavily modified oligonucleotides, it said. It also has development labs to support manufacturing activities and R&D labs for the development of novel oligonucleotide manufacturing technologies.
The CDMO already produces both small- and large-molecule APIs and intermediates at its sites in Japan, Belgium, India and the U.S. In 2017, it expanded its GMP production at its high-potency products manufacturing facility in San Diego. The CDMO last month said it will spend about $100 million to further expand capabilities at the U.S. site, as well as its site in Belgium.