MANUFACTURING ARTICLES

  • Inside Alnylam's Playbook For High Volume siRNA Production

    As one of the first companies to establish a chemoenzymatic ligation platform, Alnylam's Maines and Nechev are in the perfect position to espouse wisdom on the practical aspects and remaining challenges of implementing enzymatic ligation at a large scale. Here in this installment, Maines and Nechev outline what they’ve learned thus far about the science of enzymatic ligation, while also paying credence to the unknowns and existing barriers that, as a frontrunner, Alnylam will inevitably (but willingly) be tasked with facing in the future.

  • The "Middle Ground" Advantage: Why Alnylam Is Betting Big On Chemoenzymatic Ligation

    Though conversations are picking up around this hybrid approach, we aren’t exactly known as an industry that embraces risk no-holds barred. While there are a handful of manufacturers and CDMOs who are embracing the hybrid model today, there are many more that are likely to hold out for the next-next gen approach: Fully enzymatic oligo production. However, as Alynlam’s CTO and Chief Quality Officer Tim Maines argued, embarking into the “middle ground” of enzymatic ligation is essential for garnering the step-by-step learnings needed to help us unlock even bigger manufacturing wins in the future. 

  • The Evolution Of Oligonucleotide Manufacturing: Engineering Considerations For Scale, Efficiency, And Facility Design

    As oligos move toward larger indications, manufacturing shifts from chemistry alone to facility design—balancing scale, solvent safety, cost, and flexibility as SPOS, slurry, and enzymatic paths converge.

  • 2026 RNA Investment Landscape: Recent Deals, IPOs, And Venture Trends

    As RNA investing matures, capital is flowing toward delivery, durability, and regulatory credibility. This column breaks down the deals, IPO signals, and venture theses shaping RNA’s 2026 winners—and why.

  • Innovations In The Oligonucleotide Supply Chain: Regulatory Considerations For Materials, Manufacturing, And Lifecycle Control

    Oligonucleotide therapeutics have rapidly advanced into late-stage and commercial development, shifting regulatory focus toward the maturity of manufacturing and supply chain control rather than therapeutic novelty. Regulatory success now depends on how effectively sponsors translate innovative chemistries into well-characterized, scalable, and sustainable materials and processes.

  • The mRNA Supply Chain Revolution: Materials, Methods, And Momentum

    mRNA innovation now hinges as much on manufacturing materials as on molecular design, with novel inputs shaping performance, cost, and scalability. As these less-mature materials move rapidly into production, strategic material selection and supplier alignment are becoming critical to manufacturing resilience and long-term success.

MANUFACTURING VIDEOS

Here, Ethris’ Christan Dohmen and Tune Therapeutics’ Stu Sundseth share their take on the most meaningful strategies for reducing dsRNA production. But this discussion also probes a deeper question: Is dsRNA still the most relevant impurity the industry should be chasing, or should focus shift to other contaminants? 

Gain practical guidance for improving oligo quality, see how an advanced synthesis platform supports production, and explore a software interface designed to make daily operations more intuitive.

There are many different criteria for selecting a CDMO for your mRNA products. Arcturus’ Qian Ruan explains that a product’s stage of development and the specific needs inherent to that phase of development should be an important guide for companies today, especially given the expansion of the outsourcing sector and the wide range of capabilities.

In this segment from the Surge Manufacturing for Biopharma Resilience live event, University of Sheffield’s Dr. Zoltán Kis shares the work he’s doing on the Wellcome Leap RNA R3 program.

ARTICLES, APP NOTES, CASE STUDIES, & WHITE PAPERS