Published: April 2024
Due to long development timelines, lack of purification techniques for oligonucleotides synthesized, regulatory and compliance-related issues, and lack of expertise, developers in the oligonucleotide synthesis market prefer to outsource their oligonucleotide manufacturing operations to contract service providers. We analyzed more than 110 industry players that offer synthesis services for oligonucleotide therapeutics. In this article, discover top 5 Oligonucleotide Synthesis Service Providers.
Oligonucleotides (commonly referred to as oligos) are short single stranded DNA or RNA molecules, typically comprising of 15-20 nucleotide residues. These molecules are widely used in biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries for a wide range of applications, including research and genetic testing, forensic analysis and other analytical procedures. Presently, researchers are actively exploring the use of oligonucleotides as a pharmacological intervention, for the treatment of a myriad of disease indications. In fact, post the approval of the first antisense oligonucleotide drug in 1998, a number of such candidates have progressed into late-stage clinical trials. As a result, the demand for oligonucleotide-based products has increased significantly in the last few years.
Oligonucleotides are used in a variety of applications, ranging from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing to carrying out mutagenesis and single-nucleotide polymorphism assays. These molecules can be manufactured synthetically as per the customizations and specific needs of the customers. Oligonucleotide synthesis involves creating of short segments of nucleic acids with specific sequences. Over the past few decades, the process of oligonucleotide synthesis was quite inefficient and labor intensive. The growing need for a significant volume of oligonucleotide material for therapeutic and research applications has prompted the development of more economically efficient manufacturing methods. Since the field of oligonucleotides is relatively niche in terms of commercial applications, it lacks decades-long experience in large-scale manufacturing. Historically, much of the oligonucleotide advancement occurred within laboratory settings. However, with the rapid expansion of the field, manufacturers are shifting from laboratory-based production to more scaled-up manufacturing processes.
Roots Analysis has conducted an exhaustive study on Oligonucleotide Synthesis Market featuring the current market landscape and future opportunity associated with the oligonucleotide synthesis domain, over the forecast period, till 2035.
Below, we have listed (in alphabetical order), the top 5 oligonucleotide synthesis companies, based on their service portfolio / capabilities.
| Company | YoE | HQ | Employee Count |
| Agilent Technologies | 1999 | ![]() |
10,000+ |
| Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services | 1989 | ![]() |
1,001-5,000 |
| Integrated DNA Technologies | 1987 | ![]() |
1,001-5,000 |
| Merck | 1668 | ![]() |
10,000+ |
| Nitto Avecia | 2011 | ![]() |
501-1,000 |
Interested in exploring all 110+ oligonucleotide synthesis service providers?
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Agilent Technologies is a US-based company that specializes in offering application focused solutions, including instruments, software, services and consumables for various laboratory purposes; and manufacturing of several advanced analytical, research, and diagnostic solutions and tools. The firm operates through three business segments, including Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab.
The following table presents the details on the services offered by Agilent Technologies:
| Parameter | Description |
| Number of Facilities | 2 |
| Location of Facilities | Colorado, US |
| Type of Oligonucleotide Synthesized |
|
| Scale of Operation |
|
| Application of Area |
|
| Type of Product Synthesized | Oligonucleotide API |
| Type of Additional Services Offered |
|
Recent Initiatives Undertaken by Agilent Technologies:
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Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is a US based contract development and manufacturing organization with over 100 manufacturing facilities and offices across 35 different nations, worldwide. The company provides a wide portfolio of development, cGMP manufacturing and aseptic fill / finish services for the production of small and large molecules. In addition, the company offers services related to ADCs, HPAPIs, oligonucleotides, continuous flow manufacturing, and protein expression technology, at preclinical, clinical and commercial scales.
The following table presents the details on the services offered by Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services:
| Parameter | Description |
| Number of Facilities | 1 |
| Location of Facilities | Tokai, Japan |
| Type of Oligonucleotide Synthesized |
|
| Scale of Operation |
|
| Application of Area |
|
| Type of Product Synthesized | Oligonucleotide API |
| Type of Additional Services Offered |
|
Recent Initiatives Undertaken by Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services:
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Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) is a US based company that specializes in the design, manufacture and distribution of high-quality DNA and RNA oligonucleotides, across the globe. In addition, IDT claims to be an innovative diagnostic solution provider for oncological disorders, infectious diseases and other complex diseases. Further, the firm is focused on providing proprietary synthesis platforms, processing technology, automation, rapid prototyping and custom reagent production offerings. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, IDT meets the challenges of translating research from the lab to real-world applications, offering expanded production facilities with GMP and cGMP manufacturing grades.
The following table presents the details on the services offered by Integrated DNA Technologies:
| Parameter | Description |
| Number of Facilities | 7 |
| Location of Facilities |
|
| Type of Oligonucleotide Synthesized |
|
| Scale of Operation |
|
| Application of Area |
|
| Type of Additional Services Offered |
|
Recent Initiatives Undertaken by Integrated DNA Technologies:
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Merck is a leading science and technology company, operating through three primary business segments, namely healthcare, life sciences and performance materials. The healthcare segment of the company focuses on developing novel therapies and medical technologies, for different therapeutic areas, including allergen immunotherapy, endocrinology, general medicine, fertility, neurology and immunology, and oncology. The life sciences segment of the company offers tools and solutions to support biotechnology and pharmaceutical research; the company claims to have invested EUR 260 million in this segment. It also specializes in synthesizing high quality, synthetic oligonucleotides (ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 quality systems) for research, diagnostics and therapeutic applications. Further, the performance materials segment of the company is involved in the production of specialty chemicals for diverse applications. The firm strives to develop products that enhance the ecological footprint, as well as help its clients to meet sustainability goals.
The following table presents the details on the services offered by Merck:
| Parameter | Description |
| Number of Facilities | 1 |
| Location of Facilities | Massachusetts, US |
| Type of Oligonucleotide Synthesized |
|
| Scale of Operation |
|
| Application of Area |
|
| Type of Additional Services Offered |
|
Recent Initiatives Undertaken by Merck:
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Nitto Avecia is a US-based contract manufacturer, that specializes in the development, manufacturing and modification of a wide range of oligonucleotides. In 2011, Nitto Denko acquired Avecia Biologics in order to expand its contract manufacturing business, specifically in the domain of nucleic acid drugs. In addition to oligonucleotide manufacturing, the company offers analytical testing and method validation, process development, and quality control services to its clients.
The following table presents the details on the services offered by Nitto Avecia:
| Parameter | Description |
| Number of Facilities | 2 |
| Location of Facilities |
|
| Type of Oligonucleotide Synthesized |
|
| Scale of Operation |
|
| Application of Area | Therapeutics |
| Type of Product Synthesized |
|
| Type of Additional Services Offered |
|
Recent Initiatives Undertaken by Nitto Avecia:
The above presentation features 5 oligonucleotide synthesis companies selected from a pool of over 110+ companies that we have compiled. If you're interested, you can download the Sample Report on this topic by Roots Analysis. For personalized assistance in identifying the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at sales@rootsanalysis.com.
Sources:
2. “Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services Successfully Develops Highly Functional Ancestral RNA Ligase”
4. “German Merck buys manufacturer of key component in mRNA medicines”
5. “Expanded fill-finish capacity to accelerate your preclinical oligonucleotide program”