4basebio launches two new synthetic DNA products

Cell and gene therapy developer 4basebio announced the expansion of its synthetic DNA product offering on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded firm said, following its announcement last June on the development of its ‘hpDNA’ and ‘osDNA’ synthetic constructs, it had now added ‘opDNA’ and ‘oeDNA’ to its offering.

It said the launch reflected the “uniquely customisable characteristics” of its synthetic DNA technology.

The company described opDNA as a partially opened, linear, double-stranded DNA product, with each molecule featuring a hairpin on either the 3’ or 5’ end, with an opposite open end.

4basebio said the open end of the construct could include an overhang or blunt end, with the product “ideally suited” as a template for IVT production of mRNA.

oeDNA, meanwhile, was described as a linear open-ended, double-stranded DNA product where both 3’ and 5’ ends are open, adding that constructs could be generated with blunt ends, overhangs or any combination thereof.

The board said that like all of the firm’s DNA products, oeDNA was resistant to degradation by exonuclease, and thus suitable for in vivo applications.

It added that the format was ideal for genome editing by homology-directed repair (HDR).

“The development of our DNA product range over the past 12 months underscores the flexibility of our technology and our ability to customise DNA for particular uses,” said chief executive officer Dr Heikki Lanckriet.

“We are able to modify our DNA constructs for an individual customer’s specific application.

“Moreover, due to our synthetic process, we can move from receipt of a customer’s sequence to a first GMP-compliant multi-gram batch within three months, significantly quicker than plasmid alternatives.”

At 1400 GMT, shares in 4basebio were down 1.89% at 520p.