JW Biotech "Secures mRNA LNP Production CMO Base"... Enters Microfluidics Market

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] GW Biotech announced on the 19th that it has made equity investments in its subsidiaries SNP Genetics and NParticle and signed a joint business agreement for contract manufacturing of gene therapies and vaccines.

NParticle is a company that possesses a particle mass production platform technology applying microfluidics technology. It specializes in high value-added particles and capsule materials of micro- to nano-size. It has succeeded in mass-producing particles at a daily production scale of 10kg and has currently established a pilot line. This particle manufacturing technology overcomes the limitations of particle production using microfluidics technology with an input flow rate of 5L per minute.

Using the production equipment (MF equipment) based on microfluidics technology owned by NParticle, a strategic partnership will be formed for contract manufacturing of gene therapies and vaccines based on GW Biotech’s lipid nanoparticle (LNP) production technology.

NParticle’s MF equipment will be installed and supplied to the GMP-standard production facility that GW Biotech will build in the future. Joint research including related product development will be conducted. GW Biotech plans to supply NParticle’s proprietary microfluidic lab equipment domestically as its official distributor.

According to the research specialist company Global Information, the global microfluidics market was estimated to reach $42.17 billion in 2019. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.73% until 2029. The company believes the market potential is high as it can be applied in various fields such as medical, biotechnology, and environment, with many startups entering the market every year.

Reports from market research firms such as Research and Markets forecast that the mRNA therapeutics and vaccine market will also grow at an annual rate of 16.8%, reaching $101.3 billion (approximately 126 trillion KRW) by 2026.

A company official stated, "We recently secured patent technology related to core LNP materials through the bio venture company Enhanced Bio," adding, "The agreement with NParticle has established a CMO foundation for LNP production."