Avista Therapeutics and Forge Biologics have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the development and manufacturing of AVST-101, Avista’s lead gene therapy candidate for X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS).
AVST-101 is a next-generation gene therapy engineered for efficient intravitreal delivery, low-dose efficacy, and broad retinal coverage, aiming to provide a safer and more accessible treatment option for patients.
“Partnering with Avista to support the advancement of AVST-101, their innovative intravitreal gene therapy for XLRS, aligns with our mission to help our clients accelerate the path to gene therapies for patients with urgent needs,” said John Maslowski, President and CEO of Forge. “Our AAV manufacturing services are designed to support programs like Avista’s with the speed, consistency, and quality required for success.”
Under the agreement, Forge will provide process development, cGMP manufacturing, toxicology, and analytical development for AVST-101. Avista will also utilize Forge’s proprietary 'FUEL' technologies, including:
-
HEK293 suspension Ignition Cells for robust, scalable AAV production
-
pEMBR 2.0 adenovirus helper plasmid for optimized manufacturing efficiency
All activities will take place at Forge’s 200,000 sq. ft. gene therapy development and manufacturing facility, the Hearth, in Columbus, Ohio.
“Forge’s AAV-specific manufacturing expertise and platform technologies give us confidence in a smooth path forward in the development of AVST-101,” said Robert Lin, PhD, CEO of Avista Therapeutics. “This collaboration further strengthens our ability to advance our mission of delivering transformative gene therapies to patients with vision loss.”
