Forge Biologics, a member of Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services and a manufacturer of genetic medicines, has been selected as the adeno-associated virus (AAV) development and manufacturing partner for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s (MDA) Kickstart Program.
 
MDA is a nonprofit focused on accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for the support of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. The MDA Kickstart Program is a new research program developed as a strategy to lower commercial barriers and de-risk development of gene therapies for ultra-rare neuromuscular diseases.
 
“Collaborating with the MDA embodies our mission at Forge to help deliver potentially life-changing treatments to patients suffering from rare disease,” said John Maslowski, CCO at Forge Biologics. “We are excited to support the MDA Kickstart Program and help advance these critical projects to the next stage of development.”
 
Forge will provide process and analytical development manufacturing services, and the partnership will leverage Forge’s platform process, including its proprietary HEK293 suspension Ignition Cells and pEMBR adenovirus helper plasmid. All development and manufacturing activities will occur at the Hearth, Forge’s 200,000 square foot gene therapy manufacturing facility in Columbus, Ohio.
 
“Forge has proven to be a trusted partner to gene therapy innovators, advancing many critical programs for rare diseases. We look forward to embarking on this manufacturing partnership, leveraging their deep expertise and robust platform to propel our Kickstart Program’s goal of accelerating the delivery of treatments and cures to patients with ultra-rare neuromuscular diseases,” said Sharon Hesterlee, Ph.D., CRO at the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

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