Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics are helping to redefine treatment strategies for rare diseases, cancer, and metabolic disorders. As the number of clinical programs and regulatory approvals increases, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) are positioned to play a critical role on the path to commercialization for these complex modalities.

A recent report from MarketsandMarkets estimates the global oligonucleotide CDMO market will grow from $2.51 billion in 2024 to $6.73 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 21.8% during the forecast period.

According to the report, the leading companies in the oligonucleotide CDMO market include Agilent Technologies, Bachem, Lonza, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and WuXi AppTec.

“These companies are expanding manufacturing capabilities, investing in advanced oligonucleotide technologies, and pursuing strategic collaborations to strengthen their market positions,” the report said.

BioSpring GmbH, a Germany-based CDMO specializing in therapeutic oligonucleotide active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and Luxna Biotech, a Japan-based biotechnology company focused on nucleic acid technologies, recently expanded their collaboration to support manufacturing of modified oligonucleotides.

Under the agreement announced last month, BioSpring will manufacture custom oligonucleotides incorporating additional modified nucleic acid chemistries developed by Luxna, boosting the range of materials available through BioSpring’s oligonucleotide manufacturing services, according to the companies.

Outsourced manufacturing boosts market

Bachem is rolling out a series of facility expansions across its global network, as demand for oligonucleotide therapeutics continues to accelerate. At its headquarters in Bubendorf, Switzerland, Bachem built a new large-scale production facility known as Building K — which was inaugurated in April 2026 — in response to the rapidly growing global demand for peptide and oligonucleotide active ingredients.

In China, two WuXi AppTec plants focused on oligonucleotides, peptides, and phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer production are currently under construction and expected to be operational in 2027. A Singapore site, also under construction, will be operational next year augmenting WuXi’s global API manufacturing network for both small molecules and oligonucleotides, peptides, and related synthetic conjugates.

“Recent developments include Agilent’s acquisition of Biovectra to enhance its oligonucleotide and CRISPR manufacturing capabilities, as well as Lonza’s collaboration initiatives to expand its bioconjugate development portfolio,” the MarketsandMarkets report said.

Santa Clara, California-based Agilent Technologies provides end‑to‑end cGMP manufacturing services to advance oligonucleotide therapeutics, from preclinical development through commercialization.

CRISPR technology creates new opportunities

Brian Carothers, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Advanced Therapeutics Division, told Pharma Manufacturing what’s driving the growing demand for oligo-based therapies is there are more than 6,000 genetic disorders.

“Oligo-based therapeutics allow developers to target specific genetic instructions that create proteins linked to a disorder, helping address disease processes at their source with the potential to stop disease progression,” he said. “Typical dosing approaches can include sub-q injections with potent material that may offer a long half-life, with dosing being explored on a monthly, quarterly or even every six-month basis, potentially improving convenience.”

The growing use of oligonucleotides in CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing applications is creating significant growth opportunities for CDMOs, according to the MarketsandMarkets report.

“Oligonucleotides are essential for designing guide RNAs that direct gene-editing systems to specific DNA targets, making them a critical component of next-generation genetic therapies,” the report said. “As gene-editing research expands across therapeutic areas, CDMOs with expertise in oligonucleotide production, regulatory support, and scalable manufacturing solutions are expected to benefit from increasing demand for CRISPR-related development programs.”

Carothers explained that CRISPR “allows developers to move from modifying (RNA) the outcome of a protein to directly editing the underlying (DNA) genetic code, with the potential to enable new approaches to addressing genetic conditions.”

Rising demand, complexity of manufacturing

According to the MarketsandMarkets report, contract manufacturing represents the largest share of the oligonucleotide CDMO market, driven by increasing demand for large-scale production of high-purity oligonucleotide therapeutics and the growing complexity of manufacturing requirements.

When it comes to oligonucleotide manufacturing, the modality is growing quickly and the barrier to entry is a technically challenging and capital-intensive process, Carothers contends.   

“A CDMO needs a deep understanding of oligo chemistry and analytical methods — challenging science, impurity profiles are extremely important and testing is critical — along with strong process engineering capabilities, custom equipment and processes, dedicated facilities, and a skilled workforce,” he added.

The report notes that CDMOs are increasingly investing in automation, continuous manufacturing technologies, and advanced purification systems to meet commercial demand as more oligonucleotide therapies receive regulatory approvals and move into large-scale production.

“As demand for siRNA therapies, antisense oligonucleotides, gene-editing technologies, and personalized medicine continues to grow, CDMOs will play a critical role in enabling scalable and compliant manufacturing,” the report concluded.