Ajinomoto Co., Inc. And Forge Biologics Develops Culture Media Supplements To Improve Productivity Of Gene Therapy Products

Accelerating Ajinomoto Group’s gene therapy CDMO business

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (“Ajinomoto Co.”) has collaborated with its consolidated subsidiary, Forge Biologics (“Forge”), to develop culture media supplements that enables more efficient cultivation of viral vectors^*1, a primary delivery technology used in gene therapy products^*2 .

Demonstration experiments have shown that the use of these supplements increases the manufacturing productivity of viral vectors used in gene therapies by approximately 2 times^*3 compared to previous methods. This improvement is expected to enhance manufacturing productivity in the gene therapy CDMO (Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization) business of the Ajinomoto Group.

Gene therapy is a medical treatment that works by modifying or adding genes to address the underlying causes of disease. It is designed to target conditions, often genetic disorders, that are difficult or impossible to treat with existing therapies. The pharmaceutical needs in the field of gene therapy are expected to continue rapid double-digit growth, with the market size projected to increase from approximately USD 7 billion in 2022 to about USD 46 billion in 2030^*4, alongside the rise in the number of clinical trials. Amid this high growth rate, improving productivity—primarily by increasing yield—and reducing manufacturing costs are key challenges for the industry.

Forge, which joined the Ajinomoto Group in 2023, is a CDMO specializing in the development and manufacturing of high-purity and high-performance adeno-associated virus (AAV) for cell and gene therapies. The company also possesses the world’s largest-scale bioreactor for manufacturing AAV and facilities capable of preclinical, clinical, and late-phase production for both prevalent and rare genetic diseases. In addition to its existing facilities, Forge has expansion space within its manufacturing site to accommodate further business growth in the future.

Ajinomoto group has been engaged in the biopharmaceutical culture media business for over 30 years, developing, producing, and selling culture media for biopharmaceuticals, for CHO cell lines^*7 . Culture media are essential for cell cultivation in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and contain a variety of components. Since 2017, under the brand “CELLiSTTM,” Ajinomoto has been marketing and selling biopharmaceutical culture media, mainly in Asia, to meet a wide range of customer needs. Based on its formulation optimization technology, Ajinomoto group enables improvements in productivity and quality for each customer.

In this collaboration, by applying the manufacturing technologies and expertise cultivated by both companies, as well as medium formulation optimization techniques, the development of culture media supplements that can increase AAV vector production by approximately 2 times has become feasible. The results of this research were presented at the Japan Society of Gene and Cell Therapy on July 23, 2025. In the future, Ajinomoto Group is also considering the general sale of supplements equipped with this technology.

Ajinomoto Group has designated new modalities such as gene therapy and cell therapy as key businesses in its 2030 Roadmap and will continue to pursue manufacturing innovation in the gene therapy industry. Moving forward, Ajinomoto Group aims to further strengthen and create new businesses by deepening synergies in the healthcare field and will continue to provide products and services based on AminoScience.

^*1 A general term for carriers that mediate genetic information into the body; in gene therapy, it refers to vehicles that deliver therapeutic genes to cells. Those based on adeno-associated virus are called AAV vectors.

^*2 A medical technology that modify or add genes to address the underlying causes of disease.

^*3 Results based on our company’s culture conditions.

^*4 Ajinomoto IR materials.

^*5 Adeno-associated virus: Non-pathogenic and capable of delivering genomes to cells regardless of whether they are dividing or resting, making it useful for gene therapy. It efficiently delivers normal genes to cells with defective genes, enabling the synthesis of normal proteins.

^*6 Plasmid DNA: Small DNA fragments found in bacterial or yeast cells that can self-replicate, and are technically modified to deliver target genes to mammalian cells. These plasmid DNAs can be used to insert target genes and make them function within cells.

^*7 Abbreviation for Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell.

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