Charles River, Gazi University partner on gene therapy plasmid DNA supply

Charles River Laboratories, a Wilmington, Massachusetts-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has entered a collaboration with Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, an academic medical institution based in Ankara, Turkey, to support plasmid DNA supply and in vitro efficacy studies for adeno-associated virus production.

Under the agreement, Charles River will provide Gazi University with off-the-shelf, research-grade AAV plasmids to support early-stage gene therapy research targeting hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis, a rare inherited disorder associated with elevated blood phosphate levels and calcium phosphate deposits in soft tissue. Gazi University researchers have identified GALNT3 as the gene responsible for the condition.

The plasmids supplied through the collaboration are manufactured using animal component-free methods and are royalty-free, offering a pre-manufactured option designed to reduce development timelines and costs for early-stage gene therapy programs, according to the company.

“We are excited to build a strong collaboration with Gazi University,” Kerstin Dolph, corporate senior vice president of global manufacturing at Charles River, said in a statement. “Leveraging cell and gene therapy CDMO expertise will enable the Faculty of Medicine to test and ultimately transform ground-breaking concepts into real-world therapies.”

Gazi University said the collaboration brings together academic research and manufacturing expertise to advance rare disease gene therapy development.

The agreement comes as Charles River continues to adapt its cell and gene therapy CDMO strategy amid a shifting market landscape. The company has been scaling platforms, investing in automation and standardized development approaches, and balancing client demand as biopharma companies rationalize pipelines and focus resources on the most viable advanced therapy programs.

Charles River has said it remains focused on improving efficiency, yield and consistency in viral vector manufacturing through platforms such as its nAAVigation and Lentivation systems, while maintaining flexibility to support emerging modalities including nucleic acids and lipid nanoparticle-based therapies.