Plasmid DNA CDMOs — Ranked by Signal Score
31
CDMOs tracked
23
Fully scored
8
With FDA records
30
FDA inspections
108
EMA/MHRA GMP certs
2
Warning letters
Plasmid DNA is the upstream starting material for viral vectors, mRNA, and DNA therapeutics — which makes plasmid supply a frequent bottleneck for the entire advanced-therapy pipeline. Plasmid CDMOs run microbial (E. coli) fermentation, alkaline lysis, and chromatographic purification to GMP grade.
Selecting a plasmid CDMO turns on GMP vs research grade, supercoiled fraction and purity, fermentation scale, and lead time. The rankings below score each CDMO on FDA inspections, GMP certification, clinical activity, and capacity.
FDA inspection outcomes across these CDMOs: 13 NAI (no action), 16 VAI (voluntary action), 1 OAI (official action). Leading inspection & GMP sites: UNITED KINGDOM (31), United States (29), Germany (26), Austria (11), Belgium (11).
Last updated 2026-07-04. Sourced from FDA, EMA EudraGMDP, MHRA GMDP, and ClinicalTrials.gov.
| # | CDMO | Signal Score | Quality | FDA · GMP | Capacity | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
CR
Charles River Laboratories
Newbury Park, CA · Memphis, TN · Keele, UK · Rockville, MD
|
91.7 | 98.7 | 7 insp · 11 GMP | Limited | 0 programs |
| 2 |
RP
ReciBioPharm
Keele, UK · Sodertalje, SE
|
88.0 | 100.0 | 0 insp · 3 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 3 |
PB
Pharmaron Biologics
San Diego, CA · Shaoxing, CN
|
85.6 | 100.0 | 3 insp · 0 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 4 |
AE
Aldevron
Fargo, ND
|
85.3 | 100.0 | 1 insp · 0 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 5 |
KB
KBI Biopharma
Durham, NC · Boulder, CO
|
83.5 | 100.0 | 1 insp · 1 GMP | Limited | 0 programs |
| 6 |
TF
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Plainville, MA · Alachua, FL · Cambridge, MA
|
83.1 | 97.9 | 5 insp · 10 GMP | Available | 2 programs |
| 7 |
RB
Richter BioLogics
Hamburg, Germany
|
82.9 | 100.0 | 0 insp · 9 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 8 |
WK
Wacker Biotech
Jena, DE · Amsterdam, NL · San Diego, CA
|
81.6 | 100.0 | 0 insp · 13 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 9 |
KE
Kaneka Eurogentec
Seraing, BE
|
80.3 | 100.0 | 0 insp · 4 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 10 |
AA
Ascend Advanced Therapies
Philadelphia, PA
|
78.1 | 100.0 | 0 insp · 1 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 11 |
OX
Oxford Biomedica
Oxford, United Kingdom
|
77.1 | 100.0 | 0 insp · 13 GMP | Available | 7 programs |
| 12 |
Catalent
Bagsværd, Denmark (operating under Novo Holdings)
|
76.5 | 79.3 | 10 insp · 32 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 13 |
BM
Biomay AG
Vienna, Austria
|
76.2 | 98.7 | 2 insp · 11 GMP | — | 0 programs |
| 14 |
CA
Catalent (Novo Holdings)
Harmans, MD · Gosselies, BE
|
75.1 | 79.3 | 1 insp · 0 GMP | Available | 0 programs |
| 15 |
AN
Andelyn Biosciences
Columbus, OH
|
63.0 | — | — | Available | 0 programs |
| 16 |
Cytovance Biologics
Oklahoma City, OK
|
61.5 | — | — | Available | 0 programs |
| 17 |
UB
uBriGene Biosciences
Shanghai, CN · Boston, MA
|
60.5 | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| 18 |
CoJourney Inc.
Ambler, PA (US operations; primary manufacturing in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China)
|
60.0 | — | — | Limited | 0 programs |
| 19 |
BN
Bionova Scientific
Fremont, CA
|
59.0 | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| 20 |
HX
Helixmith
Seoul, KR
|
59.0 | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| 21 |
NE
Nature Technology
Lincoln, NE
|
56.5 | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| 22 |
VX
VGXI
The Woodlands, TX
|
56.5 | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| 23 |
PF
PlasmidFactory
Bielefeld, DE
|
56.5 | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| — |
3P Biopharmaceuticals (now 3PBIOVIAN)
Pamplona-Noáin, Spain
|
Profiled | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| — |
BioCina
Adelaide, Australia
|
Profiled | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| — |
ARCALIS, Inc.
Minamisoma, Fukushima, Japan
|
Profiled | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| — |
Rose BioSolutions
Rockville, MD
|
Profiled | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| — |
53Biologics
Boecillo, Valladolid, Spain
|
Profiled | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| — |
SK
SK pharmteco
Corbeil-Essonnes, FR · King of Prussia, PA
|
Profiled | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| — |
EirGenix
Zhubei City, Hsinchu County, Taiwan
|
Profiled | — | — | — | 0 programs |
| — |
Porton Advanced
Cranbury, NJ (US HQ); GMP manufacturing sites in Suzhou, China
|
Profiled | — | — | — | 0 programs |
What to evaluate in a Plasmid DNA CDMO
GMP grade & purity
Confirm GMP (vs research/HQ) grade, supercoiled percentage, and residual host-cell DNA/RNA and endotoxin specs — these gate downstream vector and mRNA quality.
Fermentation scale & yield
Match fermentation scale and yield to your vector or mRNA demand. Ask about high-yield strains and whether scale-up is validated.
Lead time
Plasmid is a common critical-path bottleneck. Evaluate realistic queue and turnaround against your program timeline.
Regulatory track record
Cross-check FDA 483 history and EMA/MHRA GMP coverage — both shown above and on each profile.
Plasmid DNA CDMOs — Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the top Plasmid DNA CDMOs?
By CDMO Signal's independent Signal Score, the top-ranked Plasmid DNA CDMOs include Charles River Laboratories, ReciBioPharm, Pharmaron Biologics. See the full ranked table above — scored on FDA, clinical, financial, and capacity data.
How many Plasmid DNA CDMOs have FDA inspection records?
CDMO Signal tracks 8 Plasmid DNA CDMOs with FDA inspection records and 108 EMA/MHRA GMP certificates across the group.
What should I look for in a plasmid DNA CDMO?
Confirm GMP grade and purity specs (supercoiled %, residual host DNA, endotoxin), fermentation scale and yield for your demand, realistic lead time, and a clean FDA and EMA/MHRA record.
Why is plasmid DNA supply often a bottleneck?
Plasmid is the starting material for viral vectors and mRNA, so a single GMP plasmid lot gates multiple downstream steps. Constrained GMP fermentation capacity and long queues make it a frequent critical-path item.
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