Codexis and Aldevron Enter Exclusive Licensing Agreement for Codex® HiCap RNA Polymerase
December 13 2023 - 4:06PM
Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS), a leading enzyme engineering company,
today announced it has entered into an agreement with Aldevron, a
global leader in the custom development and manufacture of plasmid
DNA, RNA and proteins for the biotech industry, whereby Aldevron
will acquire a global exclusive license to Codexis’ Codex® HiCap
RNA Polymerase. Under the terms of the deal, Aldevron will receive
global manufacturing and commercialization rights to the Codex®
HiCap RNA Polymerase and Codexis will receive payments for
near-term technical milestones, along with commercial milestones
and sales-based royalties. Codexis and Aldevron will work together
to ensure a smooth changeover for customers during a transitional
period.
“We’re excited to partner with Aldevron, a
market-leading mRNA manufacturer, to increase our commercial
penetration with a path to a GMP-grade version of our Codex® HiCap
RNA Polymerase. This should enable the efficient manufacture of
more mRNA-based therapeutics, potentially impacting millions of
patients,” said Kevin Norrett, MBA, Chief Operating Officer of
Codexis. “The execution of this deal demonstrates our ability to
create value from game-changing enzymes in our portfolio by getting
them into the hands of the right collaborators, and we look forward
to building a long-term partnership with Aldevron and the broader
Danaher family of companies.”
“Aldevron has long been a provider of research
to cGMP proteins, mRNA and pDNA to enable vaccine development, and
cell and gene therapy. We are thrilled with the opportunity to
exclusively license this differentiating Codex® HiCap RNA
Polymerase which demonstrates Aldevron’s commitment to mRNA as a
therapeutic modality,” said Tom Foti, GM of Aldevron’s Protein
Business Unit. “The T7 RNA Polymerase is the critical enzyme in the
manufacturing process, making it a vital asset in support of our
mRNA manufacturing service offering. This license is a strategic
investment in Aldevron’s continued development our of mRNA
ecosystem, ultimately benefiting our clients and the patients they
serve.”
About Codex® HiCap RNA
PolymeraseCodex® HiCap RNA Polymerase is a uniquely
engineered, co-transcriptional capping RNA polymerase that enables
researchers to produce synthetic mRNA at the high yield and purity
that today’s mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics demand. It
incorporates commercially available cap analogs more efficiently
than wild-type T7 (WT T7) RNA polymerase, generates less
undesirable double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) byproduct and provides
efficient in vitro transcription (IVT).
About AldevronAldevron is a
premier manufacturing partner, producing high-quality plasmid
DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, and other key components for the
development of vaccines, gene and cell therapies, immunotherapies,
and other treatments. Headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, and as
a part of the Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) family of global
science and technology companies, Aldevron supports thousands of
scientists who are developing revolutionary, lifesaving treatments
for millions of people. To learn more about how Aldevron
is advancing biological science,
visit www.aldevron.com/about-us.
About CodexisCodexis is a
leading enzyme engineering company leveraging its proprietary
CodeEvolver® technology platform to discover, develop and enhance
novel, high-performance enzymes and other classes of proteins.
Codexis enzymes solve for real-world challenges associated with
small molecule pharmaceuticals manufacturing and nucleic acid
synthesis. The Company is currently developing its proprietary ECO
Synthesis™ platform to enable the scaled manufacture of RNAi
therapeutics through an enzymatic route. Codexis’ unique enzymes
can drive improvements such as higher yields, reduced energy usage
and waste generation, improved efficiency in manufacturing and
greater sensitivity in genomic and diagnostic applications. For
more information, visit www.codexis.com.
Codexis Forward-Looking
StatementsThis press release may contain forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify
forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,”
“anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,”
“could,” “design,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,”
“may,” “objective,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,”
“seek,” “should,” “suggest,” “target,” “on track,” “will,” “would”
and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate
future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or
other comparable terminology. To the extent that statements
contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical
facts, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current
beliefs and expectations of management, including but not limited
to statements regarding and the potential achievement of technical
and commercial milestones under Codexis’ exclusive licensing
agreement with Aldevron; the potential benefits of the parties’
collaboration, including the anticipated impacts thereof on
Codexis’ commercial penetration, mRNA manufacturing and on patients
dependent on mRNA-based therapeutics; and Codexis’ expectations
regarding the development of a GMP-grade version of its Codex®
HiCap RNA Polymerase. You should not place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases,
beyond Codexis’ control and that could materially affect actual
results. Factors that could materially affect actual results
include, among others: Codexis’ dependence on its licensees and
collaborators; if any of its collaborators terminate their
development programs under their respective license agreements with
Codexis; Codexis may need additional capital in the future in order
to expand its business; if Codexis is unable to successfully
develop new technology such as its ECO Synthesis™ platform and
dsRNA; Codexis' dependence on a limited number of products and
customers, and potential adverse effects to Codexis’ business if
its customers’ products are not received well in the markets; if
Codexis is unable to develop and commercialize new products for its
target markets; if competitors and potential competitors who have
greater resources and experience than Codexis develop products and
technologies that make Codexis’ products and technologies obsolete;
if Codexis is unable to accurately forecast financial and
operational performance; and market and economic conditions may
negatively impact Codexis' business, financial condition and share
price. Additional information about factors that could materially
affect actual results can be found in Codexis’ Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)
on February 27, 2023 and in Codexis’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
filed with the SEC on November 3, 2023, including under the caption
“Risk Factors,” and in Codexis’ other periodic reports filed with
the SEC. Codexis expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to
update these forward-looking statements, except as required by
law.
For More Information
Codexis ContactsInvestor ContactCarrie
McKim(336) 608-9706ir@codexis.com
Media ContactLauren Musto(781)
572-1147media@codexis.com
Aldevron Contact
Media ContactEllen Shafer(701)
551-8704Ellen.shafer@aldevron.com
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