The expanding field of gene therapy is being hampered by a lack of disabled viruses with which to test new treatments, with some companies forced to wait years for a supply. Companies that create bespoke viruses are deluged with orders, but the process of creation is laborious, requires extensive documentation and is prone to setbacks. Smaller firms that don't have the financial clout to follow BioMarin's example and build their own facility, are having to pay one to buy slots in delivery queues years ahead of time.
The expanding field of gene therapy is being hampered by a lack of disabled viruses with which to test new treatments, with some companies forced to wait years for a supply. Companies that create bespoke viruses are deluged with orders, but the process of creation is laborious, requires extensive documentation and is prone to setbacks. Smaller firms that don't have the financial clout to follow BioMarin's example and build their own facility, are having to pay millions to buy slots in delivery queues years ahead of time.