Codex DNA Announces Commercial Availability of Automated mRNA Synthesis Kit with Integrated Capping Technology for BioXp™ System

• Proven CleanCap® reagent technology from TriLink BioTechnologies delivers significant time and cost savings for mRNA-based vaccine and therapeutic applications
• Codex DNA scientists to share latest data and showcase mRNA synthesis solutions at upcoming mRNA conference

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Codex DNA, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNAY), a pioneer in automated benchtop synthetic biology systems, today announced the commercial launch of its BioXp™ mRNA synthesis kits with CleanCap® Reagent AG, a proprietary mRNA capping technology from TriLink BioTechnologies, part of Maravai LifeSciences (NASDAQ: MRVI). These new automation kits will allow users to generate large yields of high-quality, capped mRNA to accelerate the discovery and development of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of efficiently building robust, reliable mRNA-based vaccines and therapies. Existing manual, multi-step mRNA synthesis processes often result in long turnaround timelines and cause significant bottlenecks during the design-build-test phases of discovery and development, despite the need for rapid iterations of mRNA constructs.

“We have demonstrated that our industry-leading mRNA capping technology works seamlessly within Codex DNA’s mRNA synthesis kit,” said Jeff Whitmore, Vice President of Commercial Operations at TriLink BioTechnologies. “The combination of our CleanCap technology with the fully automated, benchtop BioXp system will empower scientists to drive efficiency in the discovery and development of mRNA-based interventions.”

BioXp kits with integrated CleanCap Reagent AG are designed to increase the productivity and efficiency of mRNA synthesis workflows. Codex DNA customers are now able to generate up to 16 biologically active mRNA constructs at a median yield of 10 micrograms each from fully de novo synthesized and error-corrected genes in a single automated run. The increased proportion of translationally active mRNA simplifies and shortens the mRNA manufacturing process, resulting in higher levels of protein production.

Todd R. Nelson, PhD, CEO of Codex DNA, commented: “Our commitment to automated, high-quality mRNA synthesis has significantly reduced the time required to produce these critical components for candidate vaccines and therapeutics. We believe the addition of CleanCap technology to our kits will continue to accelerate the discovery process and help scientists get much-needed new treatments to market faster.”

Key Educational Conferences Focus on Promise of mRNA-based Vaccines

Two upcoming events will feature new developments in mRNA-based treatments for scientists, reporters, and other interested parties.

mRNA Applications in Discovery & Development
November 30, 2021 – December 2, 2021
Codex DNA Director of R&D Krishna Kannan will give a presentation titled “Sequence in, mRNA out. A new paradigm to accelerate discovery of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics” on November 30, 2021, at 11:00 AM EST / 8:00 AM PST.

TriLink BioTechnologies Application Scientist (mRNA) Cory Smith will give a presentation titled “Fine-Tuning mRNA Fate and Function: Modified Uridine as a Therapeutic Tool” on December 1, 2021, at 11:00 am EST / 8:00 AM PST.

World Vaccine & Immunotherapy Congress
November 30, 2021 – December 2, 2021
Loews Coronado Bay Resort
San Diego, CA

Codex DNA representatives will be at booth #13 to highlight the BioXp 3250 system and BioXp mRNA synthesis kit with CleanCap technology.

About TriLink BioTechnologies

TriLink BioTechnologies, part of Maravai LifeSciences, is a CDMO helping life science leaders and innovators overcome challenges in the synthesis and scale-up of nucleic acids, NTPs, and mRNA capping analogs with scale-up expertise and unique mRNA production capabilities, including its proprietary CleanCap® mRNA capping technology. TriLink continues to expand its GMP and general manufacturing capacity at its new global headquarters in San Diego California to support mRNA, oligonucleotide, and plasmid therapeutic, vaccine, and diagnostic customers. www.trilinkbiotech.com

About Maravai LifeSciences

Maravai is a leading life sciences company providing critical products to enable the development of drug therapies, diagnostics, novel vaccines, and support research on human diseases. Maravai’s companies are leaders in providing products and services in the fields of nucleic acid synthesis, and bioprocess impurity detection and analysis to many of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical, vaccine, diagnostics, and cell and gene therapy companies. For more information about Maravai LifeSciences, visit www.maravai.com.

About Codex DNA

Codex DNA is empowering scientists with the ability to create novel, synthetic biology-enabled solutions for many of humanity’s greatest challenges. As inventors of the industry-standard Gibson Assembly® method and the first commercial automated benchtop DNA and mRNA synthesis system, Codex DNA is enabling rapid, accurate, and reproducible writing of DNA and mRNA for numerous downstream markets. The company’s award-winning BioXp™ system consolidates, automates, and optimizes the entire synthesis, cloning, and amplification workflow. As a result, it delivers virtually error-free synthesis of DNA/RNA at scale within days and hours instead of weeks or months. Scientists around the world are using the technology in their own laboratories to accelerate the design-build-test paradigm for novel, high-value products for precision medicine, biologics drug discovery, vaccine and therapeutic development, genome editing, and cell and gene therapy. Codex DNA is a public company based in San Diego. For more information, visit codexdna.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are based on Codex DNA’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to it on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Codex DNA’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding Codex DNA’s ability to successfully integrate in a commercial setting the CleanCap® mRNA capping technology with its BioXp™ and the combination’s ability to improve the research process for organizations. These and other risks are described more fully in Codex DNA’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and other documents that Codex DNA subsequently files with the SEC from time to time. Except to the extent required by law, Codex DNA undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Contact:
Richard Lepke
Director of Investor Relations
(619) 840-5392
RichardL@codexdna.com