Wacker Biotech and Expression Manufacturing Form Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Lentiviral Gene Therapy Development
Key Insights
Wacker Biotech (search) and Expression Manufacturing (search) have announced a strategic collaboration to advance lentiviral-based gene and cell therapy development and manufacturing.
The partnership combines Wacker's PLASMITEC® plasmid DNA platform with Expression's LentET™ viral vector technology to provide end-to-end manufacturing solutions.
The collaboration aims to streamline supply chains, reduce time to market, and enhance safety standards for viral vector biopharmaceuticals.
Wacker Biotech (search) US Inc., a subsidiary of Wacker Chemie AG, and Expression Manufacturing (search) have formed a strategic partnership to address the growing demand for high-quality, scalable lentiviral vectors in gene therapy development. The collaboration combines complementary manufacturing capabilities to provide biopharma and biotech clients with comprehensive viral vector development and production services.
Integrated Manufacturing Platform
The partnership leverages Wacker Biotech (search)'s proven PLASMITEC® platform, which utilizes a proprietary E. coli strain to enable efficient production of high-quality plasmid DNA (pDNA) with greater than 90% supercoiled content in as little as four months. The platform produces transfer plasmids containing genes of interest, as well as packaging and envelope plasmids essential for lentiviral vector production.
Expression Manufacturing (search) contributes its proprietary LentET™ platform, featuring advanced lentiviral plasmid backbone technology and viral vector manufacturing capabilities. The LentET™ technology incorporates ultra-low homology backbones designed to reduce recombination risks and increase safety, along with optimized coding sequences for 293T cells (search) that result in higher potency viral vectors.
Manufacturing Infrastructure and Capabilities
Wacker Biotech (search) operates its plasmid DNA center of excellence in San Diego, California, supported by sister sites in Europe. The company maintains three GMP-compliant, FDA- and EMA-approved production plants in Jena and Halle, Germany, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, specializing in therapeutic proteins, live microbial products, plasmid DNA, mRNA, and vaccines.
Expression Manufacturing (search) operates a state-of-the-art viral vector manufacturing facility in Ohio, equipped with cleanrooms, production suites, and process development rooms specifically designed to support next-generation cell and gene therapies. The facility is designed for scalable and efficient production of complex biologics under cGMP standards.
Industry Impact and Market Position
"Lentiviral vectors are transforming gene therapy by enabling delivery of complex genetic payloads with unprecedented precision," said Bill Swaney, President of Expression Manufacturing (search). "Partnering with WACKER means we can combine our cutting-edge LentET™ technology with their unmatched plasmid manufacturing capabilities, offering our clients a seamless, fully integrated production pathway."
Mark Busch, Head of Business Development, Biopharma at Wacker Biotech (search) US Inc., emphasized the strategic value of the collaboration: "As a leader in the production of plasmid DNA via our proprietary PLASMITEC® platform, we now offer through this partnership the viral vector backbone technology to complete the manufacturing cycle for lentiviral delivery."
Therapeutic Applications
Expression Therapeutics (search), the parent company of Expression Manufacturing (search), focuses on developing gene and cell therapies targeting hemophilia (search), oncology (search), and rare diseases (search). The company's proprietary platforms are designed to enhance therapeutic safety, efficacy, and manufacturability across these therapeutic areas.
The partnership has been successfully proven through client projects and offers a synchronized platform enabling accelerated production of high-performing viral vector biopharmaceuticals. The collaboration streamlines supply chains, reduces time to market, and ensures adherence to the highest quality and safety standards throughout the drug development and manufacturing process.