Aldevron and Ginkgo Bioworks Collaboration Yields mRNA Manufacturing Enhancement

On Aug. 10, 2021, Aldevron, a US-based manufacturer of plasmid DNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), and proteins, and Ginkgo Bioworks, a US-based biotech company, announced that they have achieved a manufacturing breakthrough that improves the yield of the vaccinia capping enzyme (VCE), a component often required to produce mRNA therapies and vaccines.

Under a strategic partnership formed earlier in 2021, Aldevron has the exclusive rights to the protocol conditions of the newly developed manufacturing process, which the company said in a press release is over 10-times more efficient than the previous process.

"Aldevron's [products] and services are the foundation for some of the most exciting advances in biological science today," said Jason Kelly, CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks, in the press release. "This partnership represents a momentous growth opportunity for Aldevron as it continues to bolster its already expansive portfolio of products, and an exciting milestone for Ginkgo as we continue to expand our capabilities into the pharmaceutical ecosystem. Aldevron has been a great partner with us on improving VCE, which we see as a key ingredient to scaling mRNA production globally."

"I'm very excited about combining the additive strengths of Ginkgo Bioworks' development expertise and Aldevron's manufacturing horsepower to yield an optimized manufacturing method for vaccinia capping enzyme," said Tom Foti, president of Aldevron's Protein Business Unit, in the press release. "Historically this enzyme has been difficult to produce, and we believe this yield breakthrough will accelerate mRNA therapeutic and vaccine development for manufacturing teams around the world."

Source: Gingko Bioworks