Capability
Viral Vector CDMOs
Compare CDMOs with viral vector manufacturing capabilities for AAV, lentiviral, retroviral, and adenoviral vector production at GMP scale.
138 companies listed
About Viral Vector Manufacturing
Viral vector manufacturing produces the delivery vehicles for gene therapies and some vaccines. AAV (adeno-associated virus) vectors are the most in-demand, used in approved gene therapies for hemophilia, spinal muscular atrophy, and inherited retinal disease. Lentiviral vectors are used for ex vivo cell therapy manufacturing (CAR-T). Adenoviral vectors serve vaccine platforms.
Production scale and yield are the central challenges. AAV manufacturing typically uses transient transfection of HEK293 cells or baculovirus/Sf9 insect cell systems, with titers significantly lower than monoclonal antibody production. Downstream processing (purification, concentration, formulation) is complex due to the need to separate full from empty capsids, remove host cell DNA, and achieve high purity while maintaining vector potency.
Companies (138)
ENCell Co., Ltd.
South Korea
ENCell Co., Ltd. is a South Korean biotechnology company and CDMO specializing in cell and gene therapy, founded in 2018 as a spin-off from Samsung Medical Center. The company operates three separate GMP facilities and provides end-to-end pharmaceutical development services from R&D to regulatory approval, including drug substance/product manufacturing and contract quality testing.
Cell & Gene TherapyCell TherapyGene Therapy
Excellos
United States
Excellos is a San Diego-based cell therapy CDMO spun out of the San Diego Blood Bank, specializing in cGMP manufacturing of adoptive cell therapies including TIL, CAR-T/NK, and TCR therapies. The company provides end-to-end services from donor sourcing and cell characterization through process development and commercial GMP manufacturing in ISO 7 cleanrooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main AAV manufacturing platforms?+
Two dominant platforms exist: (1) Transient transfection of HEK293 cells (triple plasmid transfection), which offers flexibility but faces scale-up challenges with plasmid costs and transfection efficiency at large volumes. (2) Baculovirus/Sf9 insect cell system (Bac-to-AAV), which scales more readily in suspension culture but requires baculovirus stock management. A third approach -- stable producer cell lines -- is emerging as a scalable alternative that eliminates the need for plasmid DNA.
Why is the full/empty capsid ratio important?+
AAV manufacturing produces a mixture of full capsids (containing the therapeutic gene) and empty capsids (lacking the gene payload). High empty capsid content reduces potency per dose and may trigger immune responses. Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and cryo-EM are used to measure the full/empty ratio. Downstream purification steps (cesium chloride ultracentrifugation, ion exchange chromatography, or affinity chromatography) separate full from empty capsids, but achieving >80% full capsids remains technically challenging.
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