AskBio to Present Advancements in AAV Manufacturing at ESGCT Congress

Durham, N.C., Oct. 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- AskBio, a gene therapy company wholly owned and independently operated as a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is set to present significant advancements in its adeno-associated virus (AAV) manufacturing technologies at the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) 33rd Annual Congress, taking place from October 27-30, 2026, in Hamburg, Germany.

The presentations will focus on various aspects of AAV manufacturing, including the development of a stable producer cell line for successful AAV production. Elena Lazarova, a Scientist II in Cell Line Development at AskBio, will present on this topic during Poster Session I on Wednesday, October 28, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. CET.

Another presentation will explore the use of in-line capacitance probes to enhance and maintain high-quality rAAV manufacturing. Andoni Gonzalez, an R&D Associate Scientist at Viralgen, will discuss this during the same session.

Jose Luis Abad Minguez, an R&D Senior Scientist at Viralgen, will present on optimizing recombinant adeno-associated virus vector production, integrating synthetic molecules to enhance vector yield and quality for clinical gene therapy applications. This session will also take place during Poster Session I on Wednesday, October 28.

Oihana Aldasoro, an R&D Associate Scientist at Viralgen, will speak on the repeatability and intermediate precision of a genome integrity assay for rAAV by long-read sequencing. This presentation will also occur during Poster Session I on Wednesday, October 28.

Ferran Vila Julia, a MSAT Scientist at Viralgen, will present on the investigation of AAV stability under stress conditions using small-scale models. This session will take place during Poster Session II on Thursday, October 29, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. CET.

AskBio continues to develop an ambitious portfolio of investigational AAV-based gene therapies aimed at treating debilitating diseases such as congestive heart failure, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson’s disease, and Pompe disease. By targeting diseases in several therapeutic areas, AskBio aims to deliver innovative treatments that could potentially benefit more than 35 million patients worldwide.

AskBio’s end-to-end gene therapy platform includes its Pro10™ technology and Aava™ manufacturing platform, which make gene therapies more accessible by making research and commercial-grade manufacturing more affordable. Founded in 2017 as a subsidiary of Bayer AG, Viralgen Vector Core S.L.U. is a leading Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing exclusively in AAV-based cell and gene therapies. Its state-of-the-art facility in San Sebastián, Spain, includes three cGMP suites with 2,000-liter capacities each, certified by the AEMPS/EMA, and integrates services including plasmid production, process optimization, fill-finish, and in-house QC testing.

In fiscal 2025, the Group employed around 88,000 people and had sales of 45.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros. AskBio holds more than 600 patents and patent applications in areas such as AAV production and chimeric capsids, making it an early innovator in the gene therapy field with over 900 employees in five countries.