GenScript Biotech, fully known as GenScript Biotech Corporation, usually referred to as simply GenScript, is a New Jersey–based biotech company.[3][4][5] It was co-founded in 2002 in New Jersey by Fangliang Zhang, Ye Wang, and Luquan Wang.[6] The company mainly provides life science research application instruments and services.[7] It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2015.[8] The current rotating CEO of the firm is Shao Weihui, who also served as the chief operating officer and Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary for the company.[9][10] The company's main subsidiaries include Legend Biotech,[11] ProBio Technology,[12] and Bestzyme.[13]
Outside of the United States, GenScript has established presences in China, Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, among others.[14] The company's operations are divided into four main segments, CDMO platform, life-science services and products platform, integrated cell therapy platform, and industrial synthetic products platform.[14] In September 2021, the firm and its subsidiary Probio received series A funding from Hillhouse Capital.[15]
History
GenScript was formed in 2002 in New Jersey. In 2004, it set up a research and production base in Nanjing, China.[16] In 2009, the company secured a $15 million investment from KPCB China Fund.[17]
In 2011, the company opened a subsidiary in Japan. In 2013, it established Bestzyme.[16] In the following year, another subsidiary of the firm, Legend Biotech, was founded.[18] In 2015, GenScript went public on the SEHK.
In 2017, the Chinese government accepted Nanjing Legend's application for running clinical trials for its blood cancer treatment,[19] with its IND application approved by the CFDA.[20] In the same year, Legend Biotech USA Inc. and Legend Biotech Ireland Limited, non-wholly owned subsidiaries of GenScript,[21] entered into a collaboration agreement with Janssen Biotech[22] to share CAR-T treatments in the US and China.[23] Subsequently, GenScript fully acquired CustomArray.[24]
In 2020, its subsidiary Probio was launched.[25] In the same year, Genscript collaborated with Duke-NUS Medical School to develop and manufacture a serology test called cPass for the detection of COVID-19.[26] On November 6, the cPass test received emergency use authorization from the US FDA.[27][28] Prior to that, Legend Biotech was listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol "LEGN".[29]
In 2022, Carvykti, a CAR-T cell therapy developed by Janssen Biotech and Legend Biotech,[25] was approved by the US FDA for the treatment of multiple myeloma in adult patients.[30] In the same year, it opened a protein and gene manufacturing facility in Singapore.[31]
In November 2023, Legend Biotech and Novartis signed an out-license deal to develop and manufacture Legend's chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) therapies, that go after delta-like ligand protein 3 (DLL3) including large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma candidate LB2102. Novartis will pay the New-Jersey–based biotech $100 million upfront, and Legend Biotech will be eligible to receive up to $1.01 billion in clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments and tiered royalties.[32]
^"我院党委与金斯瑞集团党委举行党建共建暨校企合作签约仪式" [The Party Committee of our college and the Party Committee of GenScript Group held a signing ceremony for joint party building and school-enterprise cooperation]. Nanjing University (in Chinese). 2022-06-30. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
