Virica Biotech and FUJIFILM Biosciences partner to improve AAV manufacturing efficiency

A collaboration between Virica Biotech and FUJIFILM Biosciences is aiming to address a persistent constraint in gene therapy manufacturing by improving the scalability and efficiency of adeno-associated virus (AAV) production.

Announced on 8 April 2026, the project is supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program under the Canada–Japan Corporate Co-Innovation Program. The partners will co-develop an optimized enhancer and media solution for use with the BalanCD HEK293 system.

Addressing manufacturing constraints

AAV vectors remain central to in vivo gene delivery, but their production at scale continues to present technical and economic challenges. As pipelines expand toward larger patient populations, manufacturers require increased volumes of high-quality material alongside improved cost efficiency. Current production systems are often not sufficient to meet these demands.

Improving yield and process consistency has become a priority across the sector, particularly for suspension HEK293-based platforms widely used in commercial manufacturing.

Integrating enhancer and media technologies

The collaboration will combine Virica’s Viral Sensitizer Enhancer (VSE) technology with FUJIFILM Biosciences’ chemically defined BalanCD media. The objective is to create a ready-to-use enhancer and media combination that can be implemented without significant process redevelopment.

Virica will lead the optimization of VSE formulations and process parameters using its high-throughput virology platform and design of experiments methodologies. FUJIFILM Biosciences will contribute expertise in media development, feed strategies and scale-up to support translation into manufacturing environments.

The resulting formulation is intended to improve AAV productivity and process robustness in suspension HEK293 systems used by both academic and commercial producers.

Supporting upstream innovation

The work builds on Virica’s recent launch of its CellVantage-AAV enhancer and aligns with FUJIFILM Biosciences’ focus on integrated upstream solutions. By pairing media systems with complementary process technologies, the companies aim to simplify adoption while delivering measurable performance gains.

Implications for gene therapy manufacturing

Improved AAV yields and more consistent processes could help reduce production costs and increase manufacturing throughput. This is expected to support broader access to gene therapies as demand continues to grow and pipelines move toward larger indications.

The collaboration reflects a wider industry focus on upstream optimisation as a means of addressing capacity and cost challenges in viral vector manufacturing.