WACKER introduces end-to-end R&D and manufacturing support for emerging RNA and gene therapy technologies

WACKER’s Biotechnology Center in Munich provides Contract Research Services (CRS) for R&D-grade pDNA, RNA and LNPs for preclinical studies. Source: WACKER

(IN BRIEF) WACKER has launched a new Contract Research Services platform designed to support biotech and biopharma companies developing nucleic acid-based medicines, including RNA therapies, plasmid DNA technologies and lipid nanoparticle formulations. Operating from the company’s Biotechnology Center in Munich, the new services provide early-stage R&D support alongside a pathway to GMP-scale manufacturing through Wacker Biotech’s international production network. The initiative strengthens WACKER’s position within the rapidly growing advanced therapeutics sector while helping biotech companies accelerate development and reduce operational complexity.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 19-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — WACKER has launched a new Contract Research Services (CRS) offering aimed at supporting biotech and biopharmaceutical companies developing nucleic acid-based medicines and advanced therapeutic technologies. The new service expands the company’s existing biotechnology capabilities and complements the global contract development and manufacturing operations of its subsidiary Wacker Biotech.

The newly introduced CRS platform is designed to provide research and development support for early-stage therapeutic programmes involving plasmid DNA (pDNA), RNA molecules and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which are increasingly central to modern vaccine technologies, gene therapies and next-generation RNA-based medicines.

The services are being delivered through a dedicated scientific team based at the WACKER Biotechnology Center in Munich, a facility opened last year as part of the company’s broader investment in biotechnology research and advanced therapeutics. The Munich-based centre will focus on producing R&D-grade pDNA, RNA and LNP formulations for preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies while also providing customers with a pathway toward later GMP-scale clinical manufacturing.

WACKER is now able to support customers through their entire drug development and manufacturing journey, starting with R&D. Source: WACKER

WACKER said the new CRS model is intended to help biotech companies reduce complexity during the early stages of drug development by integrating research support, process development and scalable manufacturing capabilities within a single connected network.

In addition to material production, the CRS offering includes services such as plasmid and RNA construct design, RNA engineering, optimization of untranslated regions and poly(A) structures, cap optimization through partner collaborations, lipid library screening, lipid nanoparticle formulation, analytical testing and functional assays.

The company noted that the integrated structure is designed to reduce supply-chain fragmentation and accelerate the transition from early-stage research to clinical-grade manufacturing. Once projects progress beyond preclinical development, programmes can be transferred into Wacker Biotech’s GMP manufacturing network located across Germany, the Netherlands and the United States.

WACKER’s biotechnology expertise in nucleic acid technologies has expanded significantly in recent years through the development of PLASMITEC®, the company’s proprietary E. coli platform for plasmid DNA production. The CRS scientific team has also participated in more than 100 collaborations involving academic institutions and research consortia focused on emerging RNA modalities.

According to WACKER, the team has extensive experience working with several RNA technologies currently being investigated for advanced therapeutics and vaccines, including messenger RNA (mRNA), circular RNA and self-amplifying RNA (saRNA).

Christian Dubiella, WACKER Global Program Manager for CRS, said the company aims to provide flexible and highly customisable services that can adapt to the rapidly evolving needs of biotechnology innovators, particularly smaller start-ups that may face financial and operational challenges during the early phases of therapeutic development.

One of the first companies to use the new service platform is SRTD Biotech GmbH, which is developing selectively expressed RNA technologies for targeted therapeutic delivery. According to SRTD Biotech CEO and cofounder Bernd Hoffmann, the partnership with WACKER is expected to accelerate development timelines while supporting the company’s efforts to bring RNA-based therapies into clinical applications.

WACKER also indicated that while the current CRS offering focuses on nucleic acid-based therapeutics and vaccines, the platform is expected to expand in the future to include protein-based contract research services as the company broadens its biotechnology capabilities further.

Media Contact:

Wacker Chemie AG
Media Relations
Dr. Karsten Werth
Tel. +49 89 6279-1573

SOURCE: Wacker Chemie AG