With competition intensifying in long-acting injectables and mRNA therapeutics, Inventage Lab is expanding its contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) business through a strategic acquisition.
The Korean biotech firm is investing 25 billion won ($17 million) in Quratis, a Korean vaccine developer and CDMO player, through convertible bonds and a stock rights offering. natural media for cell culture
Once the deal closes in March 2025, Inventage Lab will hold about 40 percent of Quratis’ shares— which will secure management rights and position it as the largest shareholder.
The acquisition is a major step in accelerating Inventage Lab’s long-acting injectable (LAI) drug platform while expanding its footprint in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology, a critical component of mRNA vaccines and gene therapies.
Through the deal, Inventage Lab will integrate its IV-DrugFluidic long-acting drug delivery platform into Quratis’ Osong Bio Plant, a GMP-certified facility that has already produced clinical samples for an mRNA vaccine in development.
The company expects this integration to streamline production for ongoing clinical collaborations with global and domestic pharmaceutical partners while enabling future large-scale commercial manufacturing.
“This acquisition is a major milestone for our business,” said Kim Ju-hee, CEO of Inventage Lab. “It secures GMP production for our long-acting injectable platform while strengthening our LNP CDMO business. The synergy between Inventage Lab and Quratis will serve as a turning point in our ability to compete on a global scale.”
For Quratis, the deal represents a shift beyond its vaccine development roots. The company aims to establish itself as a full-spectrum CDMO, leveraging Inventage Lab’s investment and technology to scale operations.
“By leveraging Inventage Lab’s financial and technological resources, we will accelerate our transformation into a globally competitive CDMO,” said Kim Seong-jun, CEO of Quratis.
Strengthening mRNA and LNP manufacturing capabilities
Beyond long-acting injectables, Inventage Lab is pushing into lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology, a key enabler of next-generation mRNA vaccines and gene therapies. The company has been developing LNP manufacturing platforms since 2023, including HANDYGENE GMP, a large-scale LNP production system, and HANDYGENE Lab, a research-scale platform.
By integrating Quratis’ existing mRNA vaccine production infrastructure, Inventage Lab aims to build a comprehensive ”Gene to GMP” CDMO model, covering mRNA synthesis, LNP formulation, and final drug product filling.
Quratis believes this expanded capability will position it as a competitive CDMO player in the rapidly evolving mRNA therapeutics sector.
The deal follows Inventage Lab’s recent 53.8 billion won fundraising round, which was aimed at securing GMP manufacturing capacity. The Quratis deal accelerates this goal, giving Inventage Lab access to a fully operational, globally certified GMP facility.
In the near term, Quratis said it expects to begin commercial production of Inventage Lab’s GLP-1 receptor agonist-based long-acting injectable for obesity treatment as early as the second half of this year.
silica coated magnetic beads While the acquisition strengthens Inventage Lab’s long-term strategy, a company official said it’s still too early to disclose specific plans for Quratis. “Discussions are ongoing, and further details will be shared once key strategic initiatives are finalized,” the official said.