Lonza and Asimov have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing lentiviral vector (LVV) manufacturing for emerging in vivo therapeutic applications.

 

The partnership combines Asimov’s LV Edge stable cell line technologies with Lonza’s capabilities in process development, scale-up, analytics and GMP manufacturing. 

 

The companies say the collaboration is designed to bring manufacturing considerations into the development process earlier, helping developers establish a stronger foundation for scalable clinical and commercial production.

 

Most current LVV manufacturing approaches rely on multi-plasmid transient transfection, a method that can constrain scalability and consistency. Stable production systems could offer a more scalable, reproducible and controlled approach, potentially supporting the development of emerging applications such as in vivo LVV programs.

 

For in vivo developers, the companies say their combined capabilities are designed to address the performance and consistency demands of these applications through stable, program-specific production strategies. The approach is intended to improve scalability and reproducibility while providing earlier visibility into manufacturability. The same technologies can also support ex vivo LVV programs.

 

Daniel Palmacci, Head of Specialized Modalities, Lonza, commented: “The development of in vivo lentiviral therapies requires design and manufacturing strategy to be considered together from the earliest stages. 

 

"By combining Asimov’s design and cell line technologies with our process development and GMP manufacturing expertise, we can bring manufacturability considerations earlier into development and provide customers with a more connected path towards scalable clinical and commercial manufacturing.”

 

Alec Nielsen, co-founder and CEO, Asimov, commented: “In vivo lentiviral therapies turn the vector from a manufacturing reagent into the drug itself. This raises the bar for titer, product quality, and scale. By pairing LV Edge stable cell lines with Lonza's manufacturing expertise, developers can get a scalable path from sequence to clinic.”

 

The collaboration will now focus on developing a feasibility-first framework spanning transgene optimization, cell line development, process development, advanced analytics, scale-up, GMP manufacturing and CMC readiness. 

 

The companies aim to connect these stages more closely to help developers identify and address manufacturability challenges earlier in the development journey.