Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services and Gene Tools have announced a collaboration to expand access to phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) therapeutics, a growing class of oligonucleotide drugs that show promise in treating genetic diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
The non-exclusive collaboration aims to bridge early-stage PMO synthesis with large-scale development and manufacturing, streamlining the path from research through Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production. Under the agreement, Gene Tools will provide pre-purified PMO synthesis for discovery and preclinical research, while Aji Bio-Pharma will handle purification, analytical testing, and scale-up using its proprietary AJIPHASE liquid-phase technology platform.
PMOs are chemically modified oligonucleotides that inhibit specific gene expression without altering the genome, offering therapeutic potential for a range of rare and inherited disorders. The partnership is designed to give researchers and developers flexible access to research-scale and clinical-grade PMOs, enabling faster progression from early research to toxicology and clinical trials.
Aji Bio-Pharma Corporate Executive Yasuyuki Otake said the partnership enhances opportunities for PMO development by combining Gene Tools’ expertise in small-scale synthesis with Aji Bio-Pharma’s global CDMO infrastructure. Gene Tools Chief Scientist and PMO inventor James Summerton added that the collaboration ensures continuity and confidence for customers as PMO research advances toward human studies.