JAPAN – Moderna Inc. has struck a deal to buy OriCiro Genomics K.K., a pioneer in cell-free DNA synthesis and amplification technologies, for US$85 million in cash.

The biotechnology company announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement that will bolster Moderna’s suite of platform technologies.

OriCiro’s synthetic biology and enzyme technologies will support Moderna’s expanding portfolio of therapeutics and vaccines,” Moderna said in an official statement.

Founded in December 2018, OriCiro’s proprietary technologies are positioned to unlock and expedite the possibilities of advanced therapeutics and synthetic biology by providing a powerful tool to be used for the research, development, and manufacturing of plasmid DNA.

The Japan-based firm is focused on the development and commercialization of cell-free synthesis and amplification of plasmid DNAs for applications in gene/cell-based therapies and synthetic biology.

With its acquisition, Moderna will obtain best-in-class tools for cell-free synthesis and amplification of plasmid DNA, a key building block in mRNA manufacturing.

It maintains alliances with a broad range of domestic and overseas government and commercial collaborators, allowing for the pursuit of ground-breaking science and rapid scaling of manufacturing.

Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna said: “OriCiro’s technology strategically complements our manufacturing expertise and further accelerates our research and development engine. We look forward to welcoming the OriCiro team to Moderna.”

Speaking on the acquisition, Nasir Kato Bashiruddin, Chief Executive Officer of OriCiro, underscored that Moderna has demonstrated remarkable speed and ability to impact lives through its innovative platform and mRNA therapeutics.

He further expressed his confidence that their technology and talent will be a highly strategic fit with Moderna, which is an enterprise with a diverse clinical portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics across seven modalities, a broad intellectual property portfolio, and an integrated manufacturing plant.

We are thrilled to join forces with Moderna to realize the full power of OriCiro for the benefit of patients,” added Seiji Hirasaki, President and Co-founder of OriCiro.

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