Wacker Biotech US Inc.

In 2021, WACKER strengthened its biopharma business with the acquisition of Genopis, a pharmaceutical contract manufacturer of plasmid DNA (pDNA) headquartered in San Diego, California. A few weeks after the acquisition, the company was renamed "Wacker Biotech US Inc." Wacker Biotech US specializes in the fermentative manufacture of pDNA.

The Wacker Biotech site in San Diego was acquired in 2018 from Genopis, a joint venture between South Korean biotech company Helixmith Co Ltd. and the private equity firm Medivate Partners LLC, Seoul (South Korea). WACKER acquired 100 percent of the shares in the pharmaceutical contract manufacturer in February 2021. Prior to 2018, the site was the headquarters of Vical, a biotechnology company founded in 1987 that was an early pioneer in pDNA and proprietary DNA delivery technologies, with advanced programs spanning infectious diseases, cancer immunotherapy, and gene-based medicines

Wacker Biotech US specializes in the fermentative manufacture of pDNA while also meeting customer needs for recombinant proteins and RNA/LNPs. The company operates in San Diego as a CDMO and has a specialized, 650-liter-capacity GMP fermentation line for the manufacture and purification of pDNA. It additionally offers small-scale GMP fermentation capabilities with 7.5 L glass and 43 L single-use bioreactors. The company’s 40-plus employees have extensive experience in the production of pDNA aligned with the quality guidelines of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Demand for pDNA has surged in recent years, driven by developments in the field of mRNA vaccines and gene therapy. pDNA is highly versatile. It is used for products like DNA vaccines and also as a starting material for RNA-based medicines and viral vector cell and gene therapies made with AAV (adeno-associated virus) or LV (lentivirus). The 2021 acquisition in San Diego allows WACKER to establish a local presence in the large US market for biopharmaceuticals, especially for those based on nucleic acids.