TAAV Biomanufacturing Solutions, has announced the anticipated first use in a clinical trial of its doggybone DNA (dbDNA), a precisely engineered synthetic DNA material.
 
TAAV-produced dbDNA is a component of an Asklepios BioPharmaceutical Inc. (AskBio) gene therapy candidate for the treatment of early-stage Huntington’s disease, which was recently authorized by France’s National Agency for Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) for an upcoming Phase I/II clinical trial.
 
TAAV’s dbDNA is produced using a synthetic manufacturing process that eliminates the use of fermenters and bacteria, which are required in more common plasmid DNA manufacturing. Synthetic manufacturing removes significant levels of bacterial contaminants, resulting in the production of a synthetic DNA product with an improved safety profile for the manufacture of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene therapy vectors.
 
“The successful completion of this first clinical trial involving TAAV-manufactured dbDNA would mark a significant milestone for TAAV and bring us one step closer to commercial validation of this groundbreaking technology,” said Alfredo Martinez, TAAV’s chief operating officer. “Clinical success of this first treatment would put us on the path to potentially increasing access to this gene therapy with a safer, more effective DNA material that can be produced faster, in much higher volumes and at lower costs. We look forward to that and to doing the same for others in the future.”
 
The synthetic manufacturing process consistently produces large amounts of dbDNA in reduced times, which can be measured in days versus the months that are typical when producing plasmid DNA. Further, since dbDNA does not contain a plasmid backbone, it significantly reduces the risk of introducing bacterial DNA sequences into patients, improving the overall quality of gene therapy products.
 
“We knew very early on that manufacturing at scale and at the lowest cost possible would be central to realizing the full promise of gene therapies,” stated Sheila Mikhail, CEO and co-founder of AskBio, TAAV’s parent company. “Products like dbDNA could transform how AskBio and others efficiently and effectively increase availability of AAV therapeutics, creating a new industry standard for transfection-based AAV therapeutic manufacturing.”
 
TAAV produces dbDNA as a lower cost, higher yield alternative to plasmid DNA and makes this available for use by all biotechnology companies across the world who are bringing life changing AAV gene therapies to the clinic.