Cytiva moves quickly on mRNA technology by building its first FlexFactory platform for oligonucleuotide production for General Biol

• Small nucleic acid therapeutics can greatly reduce the uncertainty of drug development while shortening processing time.
• First FlexFactory platform for oligonucleotide production boosts the safety, efficiency, and speed of General Biol’s oligonucleotide CDMO business.

February 24, 2022

Cytiva, a global life sciences leader, is building the first FlexFactory platform for oligonucleotide production for General Biol (Anhui) Co., Ltd. The new factory, located in Anhui, will produce several hundred kilograms of pharmaceutical oligonucleotide a year to meet the needs of different oligonucleotide production scales.

Cytiva and General Biol are collaborating on the first FlexFactory platform for oligonucleotide production for General Biol

The impressive performance of mRNA vaccines in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the development of small nucleic acid therapeutics — a drug substance that greatly reduces the uncertainty of drug development while shortening processing time. However, the manufacturing yield for oligonucleotides has become a bottleneck in their commercialization due to requirements for large drug doses and limitations in the existing delivery systems.

Yu Li Hua, General Manager of Cytiva’s business in China, says: “Cytiva’s enterprise solutions builds a solid foundation to support General Biol’s large-scale production of pharmaceutical oligonucleotide. By collaborating with Cytiva, biomanufacturers can improve their speed and efficiency of the development and production of transformative drugs and therapies, benefiting patients around the world.”

Yong Jin Gui, General Manager of General Biol adds: "We are dedicated to the advancement of life sciences research and human health. Cytiva and its FlexFactory platform will help us achieve our vision of 'making research more efficient and bioindustry manufacturing less costly.’ We look forward to building on synergies and creating more value between us and our partners.”

Cytiva will provide General Biol with its integrated FlexFactory platform, including an OligoProcess nucleic acid synthesis system, ÄKTAprocess purification system, Uniflux tangential flow filtration system, and its other advanced equipment and technologies. The FlexFactory platform will expand General Bio’s oligonucleotide CDMO business, enabling it to better serve the needs of its customers. For new product innovations, General Biol will provide process development support, optimization, formula development, pilot production services, and customized manufacturing services.

General Biol’s oligonucleotide project has two phases. The first involves the construction of a pilot scale production line with an annual capacity of several hundred kilograms. The second phase, which includes the construction of two more production lines with a similar annual capacity, is expected to be finished by the end of 2022. The total planned area is over 50 000 m².

About Cytiva

Cytiva is a global life sciences leader that works with academic and translational researchers, developers and manufacturers of biotherapeutics, cell and gene therapies, and new technologies such as mRNA, to enable the delivery of transformative medicines. Cytiva is a trusted expert with nearly 10 000 associates in more than 40 countries dedicated to customers’ speed, flexibility, capacity and efficiency in drug discovery, research, and manufacturing.

Media Contact

Cytiva
Iris Zhao
[email protected]
General Biol
QiuXiang Hu
[email protected]