Fuse Vectors Secures $5.2M to Develop Cell-Free Gene Therapy Technology
Danish biotech startup Fuse Vectors has raised $5.2 million in pre-seed funding, led by venture capital firm HCVC, to advance its cell-free viral vector technology for gene therapy. Emerging from stealth in January 2024 at BioInnovation Institute’s Demo Day, the company has focused on addressing longstanding manufacturing challenges by moving away from traditional cell-based methods that have been in use since the 1980s.
Fuse Vectors' platform offers a controlled, cell-free process for assembling adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors—an essential component of gene therapies. Instead of relying on living cells, which often exhibit unpredictable behavior during manufacturing, the company’s technology assembles viral vectors through controlled biochemical reactions. The process is driven by an enzymatic AAV capsid filling system that uses a modular library of components to enable on-demand, controlled biocatalytic reactions. This approach is designed to facilitate rapid optimization and support compatibility across various AAV serotypes.
According to Fuse Vectors, this method offers several advantages over traditional techniques, including the potential to increase viral vector titers by orders of magnitude, achieve over 99% capsid filling for improved therapeutic efficacy and safety, and reduce production time from weeks to hours. They also report that the platform supports rapid multi-parallel prototyping for accelerated drug development across different serotypes and constructs, with scalability designed to allow smooth transitions from research to commercial manufacturing.
Fuse Vectors founders, from left to right: Jordan Turnbull, Henrik Stage and Benjamin Blaha.jpg
The startup was founded by bioprocess scientists Benjamin Blaha and Jordan Turnbull, who identified limitations in the current manufacturing methods used for viral vectors. Their goal was to develop a more efficient system capable of overcoming issues with production speed, cost, and quality.
“Our enzymatic AAV capsid filling process eliminates the need for cell-based production, using a modular library of components that enables on-demand biocatalytic reactions,” said Blaha. This approach is designed to facilitate rapid optimization and support compatibility across various AAV serotypes.
The funding will support the development of Fuse’s technology platform and its pipeline of gene therapy candidates. The company is pursuing two commercialization strategies:
- Internal pipeline development: Advancing its own pipeline of therapeutic candidates for specific indications.
- Collaborative partnerships: Working with pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and academic institutions to optimize drug candidates using its Fuse Technology and Optimization Engine. Fuse Vectors also intends to establish agreements on a gene-by-gene basis, granting licenses under its intellectual property for research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of AAVs produced using its technology.
Currently in the alpha testing phase, Fuse Vectors is collaborating with more than six partners, including academic research groups and major pharmaceutical companies.
Fuse Vectors Team
Henrik Stage, co-founder and Executive Chair of Fuse Vectors, described the funding as a critical step toward making gene therapy more efficient and accessible, adding that early support from BioInnovation Institute (A Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative), EIFO, and Innovation Fund Denmark played a role in the company’s initial development.
Investors believe the technology could address significant challenges in the field. Trine Bartholdy, Chief Business Officer at BioInnovation Institute, noted that Fuse’s technology could help broaden the appeal of gene therapy by making development more efficient and accessible. Alexis Houssou, Managing Partner at HCVC, highlighted the potential for the platform to overcome production hurdles that have limited the scalability of gene therapies.
Source: Merck Life Science
In November 2024, Fuse Vectors won the Merck Life Science European Advance Biotech Grant for its scalable gene therapy manufacturing platform. Merck recognized the company’s potential to accelerate production speeds, reduce costs, and expand access to life-saving treatments.
Topics: Startups & Deals
