Danaher’s IDT opens CGT reagent plant in Iowa

Integrated DNA Technologies’ (IDT) manufacturing facility in Coralville will produce cell and gene therapy reagents, single guide RNAs (sgRNAs), and donor oligos.

IDT, an operating company in the Life Sciences arm of Danaher Corporation, has completed its manufacturing facility in Coralville, Iowa. The firm said the expansion will enable it to produce products for research use as well as cGMP manufacturing of cell and gene therapy (CGT) reagents to provide clients with a partner to support them with the transition from the lab to therapeutic advancement.

Additionally, the facility will manufacture “critical CRISPR components” such as single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) and donor oligonucleotides for homology-directed repair (HDR) with further offerings to be added at a later date.

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“CRISPR genome editing is a revolutionary technology that allows scientists to make precise changes to the DNA of living organisms, including humans. It’s like a pair of molecular scissors (CRISPR enzyme) guided by a GPS system (CRISPR guide RNA) that can cut and modify the genes,” an IDT spokesperson told BioProcess Insider.

“Scientists need guide RNA, which is like a GPS system. It helps CRISPR enzyme (Cas9 is the most commonly used CRISPR enzyme), find the right spot in the DNA to make changes. Guide RNAs are produced chemically by adding one nucleotide at a time, similar to adding pearls on a string with a specific order (nucleotide sequence) based on the gene being targeted.”

Why CGTs?

The firm cited the increasing growth of the CGT industry as a driver for the investment, adding that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could grant the first approval for a CRISPR Therapeutic from Vertex Pharmaceuticals this year. The IDT facility “will add manufacturing capacity for the industry to enable therapeutic development and serve this growing demand for cell and gene therapies.”

Furthermore, the plant is expected to create close to 100 jobs by 2026 and the spokesperson told us it has invested $26 million at the 41,000 square-foot site so far but anticipates “this number to increase as we continue to build out additional areas in the facility.”