Ginkgo Bioworks Adds StrideBio’s AAV Platform To Step Up Gene Therapy Development

Ginkgo Bioworks has acquired StrideBio’s adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid platform for an undisclosed sum to boost its AAV gene therapy development capabilities. The deal includes a transfer of several in-license agreements to Ginkgo, which will also be incorporated into its gene therapy platform. 

According to Ginkgo, the new assets will increase its offerings to target many different tissue types and potentially improve the safety profile of gene therapies. 

Along with the capsid discovery platform, Ginkgo will inherit StrideBio’s library of capsids, some of which have been tested in large animal models and have performed in terms of efficacy and selectivity. The more advanced candidates will be available for licensing and partnership opportunities, said Ginkgo. 

Additionally, Ginkgo will receive StrideBio’s lead preclinical candidate for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a rare genetic heart disease. The company mentioned plans to sell or out-license the candidate to a potential partner. 

Related article: Ginkgo Bioworks and Merck’s Collaboration Worth Up to $144 million

StrideBio Strives to Overcome Current AAV Therapy Limitations

StrideBio’s platform, which it calls STRIVE, uses a structural engineering approach to generate AAV capsids that overcome the limitations of current AAV therapies. The company claims that their capsids come with the benefit of reduced seroprevalence (meaning the capsids are less likely to come under attack from the body’s immune system), improved tropism for cell types (e.g. in the nervous system or muscle), and increased gene transfer efficiency. 

“The StrideBio team has built a deep pipeline of AAV capsids and libraries to address critical challenges facing clinical gene therapy with a focus on reducing vector dose and improving safety by limiting off-target biodistribution,” said Aravind Asokan, Ph.D, who co-founded StrideBio with Pat Ritschel and the late Mavis Agbandje-McKenna.

“With Ginkgo’s expertise and scale, we hope to amplify this effort and deploy this platform to the gene therapy industry and ultimately, patients,” said Asokan.

Ginkgo Takes Steps To Expand Gene Therapies

In May 2021, Ginkgo signed a deal worth $120 million with Biogen to enhance the AAV production capabilities of Biogen’s gene therapy manufacturing processes. 

In January 2022, Ginkgo announced a collaboration with Selecta Biosciences to develop next-generation AAV capsids with improved transduction, tissue tropism, and reduced immunogenicity. Later that year, the company acquired Altar and Circularis, bringing in the former’s automated instruments and the latter’s circular RNA and screening platform to advance their gene therapies. 

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Joy Lin

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