4basebio and Genezen Partner to Bring Cell-Free Synthetic DNA to Viral Vector Manufacturing

4basebio and Genezen announced an expanded, non-exclusive collaboration giving drug developers access to 4basebio's Research Use Only, High-Quality, and GMP-grade hpDNA development and clinical programs through Genezen's viral vector development and manufacturing services.¹ The partnership combines 4basebio's synthetic DNA technology with Genezen's viral vector contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) expertise, aiming to support cell and gene therapy programs from early development through commercial manufacturing.¹

How does this address existing bottlenecks in viral vector manufacturing?

4basebio's enzymatic, cell-free DNA manufacturing process eliminates bacterial backbone sequences and antibiotic resistance genes while demonstrating comparable titers to plasmid DNA in AAV production.¹ This addresses a manufacturing pain point that BioPharm International^© has covered in depth: traditional plasmid DNA production requires a master cell bank and multiple optimization steps, while cell-free synthetic DNA enables rapid, high-fidelity production without a bacterial backbone, eliminating endotoxin contamination risk and antibiotic-resistance elements.² AAV vectors in particular have long presented scalability challenges. "Namely, compared to other vectors, AAV often has lower titers," Noah Kopcho, field application scientist at Gyros Protein Technologies, explained in earlier BioPharm International coverage of AAV production challenges, unrelated to this collaboration specifically. "This can present problems with scalability. During the production and purification workflow, there are several different contaminants that need to be kept in mind, and purity is often essential."³

"As the cell and gene therapy field continues to mature, developers need manufacturing solutions that not only address today's challenges, but are designed with the needs of later-stage development in mind," said Susan D'Costa, chief technical and commercial officer at Genezen. "4basebio's approach to synthetic DNA represents an exciting advancement in the tools available to viral vector developers. By combining innovative technologies with deep process and manufacturing expertise, we have an opportunity to help developers build more efficient, scalable manufacturing strategies from the outset—and keep the focus where it belongs: advancing therapies for patients."¹

Who are the companies involved?

4basebio is a Cambridge, UK-based biotechnology company that produces GMP-grade synthetic DNA and mRNA through its proprietary enzymatic DNA synthesis platform, supporting gene therapy, mRNA, and vaccine developers.¹ Beyond viral vector applications, the company positions its synthetic DNA constructs as application-specific tools spanning gene editing, mRNA production, viral vector manufacturing, and DNA vaccines, reflecting a broader shift in the field away from legacy bacterial-based DNA manufacturing toward enzymatic synthesis methods.⁴ Genezen is a viral vector CDMO offering development and manufacturing services to cell and gene therapy programs.¹ This kind of manufacturing capacity and technology partnership reflects a broader industry pattern: BioPharm International has reported that viral vector manufacturing, particularly for AAV, continues to face a capacity crunch, with allogeneic vector production scaling to 2,000-liter levels still limited to treating only several dozen patients given the large vector volumes required per treatment.⁵

What's next?

Through the collaboration, Genezen will offer drug developers access to 4basebio's synthetic DNA platform specifically developed for viral vector applications, intended to create a more streamlined path for cell and gene therapy developers to advance programs toward the clinic.¹ The release does not disclose financial terms of the agreement.

References

1. 4basebio and Genezen enter into strategic collaboration to advance synthetic, cell-free DNA platforms for next-generation viral vector manufacturing. News release. 4basebio PLC; August 26, 2026. Accessed August 26, 2026.
2. Transformative advances in viral vector manufacturing: unlocking commercial scalability, consistency, and cost-effectiveness. Pharma's Almanac. Published September 2, 2025. Accessed August 26, 2026.
3. Haigney S. AAPS National Biotechnology Conference 2025: AAV vector production. BioPharm International. Published May 5, 2025. Accessed August 26, 2026.
4. About Us. 4basebio. Accessed August 26, 2026.
5. Rader RA. Cellular and gene therapies face a manufacturing capacity crunch. BioPharm International. Published September 1, 2020. Accessed August 26, 2026.