A Copenhagen-based biotechnology startup, Fuse Vectors, has secured $5.2 million in preseed financing to advance its revolutionary cell-free platform for producing adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, potentially transforming the gene therapy manufacturing landscape.
Breakthrough in AAV Vector Production
The company's innovative approach addresses a critical bottleneck in gene therapy development by taking the AAV assembly process outside of cellular constraints. Co-CEO Jordan Turnbull emphasizes that current AAV production processes have been "bottlenecking the true potential of gene therapies," while their novel technology is "able to unlock certain areas that were previously inaccessible with current-generation manufacturing technologies."
The proprietary process involves initially producing AAV capsids, nucleic acids, and packaging proteins within cells, followed by an in vitro assembly process that dramatically improves efficiency. This cell-free environment allows scientists to manipulate conditions beyond typical biological limitations, such as pH and temperature restrictions.
Remarkable Efficiency Gains
According to Co-CEO Benjamin Blaha, the technology demonstrates unprecedented efficiency in AAV production. "Right now, we're at a space where we can fill 99% of our capsids quite reproducibly in a single 4-hour step, rather than having multiple weeks of culturing time and processing," he explains. This significant reduction in production time represents a major advancement in the field.
From Laboratory Concept to Venture-Backed Innovation
The journey of Fuse Vectors began in 2022 when Turnbull and Blaha, leveraging their pharmaceutical and biotechnology expertise, established a small laboratory using family funding. Their initial research received support from the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen, an incubator backed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The team later expanded to include Henrik Stage as a co-founder.
Expanding Drug Discovery Capabilities
The platform's rapid processing capabilities offer unique advantages for drug development. "One of the things that we can offer at a very early stage, for drug discovery stage initiatives, is we can really screen unconstrained all possible candidate variants," notes Blaha. This capability could significantly accelerate the development timeline for new gene therapies.
The recent funding round, led by venture capital firm HCVC, positions Fuse Vectors to further develop and scale their technology, potentially revolutionizing how gene therapies are manufactured and tested in the future.
