Producer
Aldevron
US CDMO (owned by Danaher since 2021) based in Fargo, ND; supplies plasmid DNA, mRNA, and proteins for cell and gene therapy; in February 2025 entered non-exclusive CleanCap license with TriLink to produce M6, AG, AG 3'OMe, and AU cap analogs for clinical mRNA manufacturing
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1 input Aldevron supplies
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Plasmid DNA Manufacturing
40%mRNA Manufacturing
35%Proteins & Enzymes
15%Analytical & Other Services
10%
Intelligence
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Did you know2025
Aldevron (Fargo, ND) is one of the world's largest plasmid DNA manufacturers — the same company that supplies DNA templates for mRNA transcription now also licensed CleanCap to produce the cap analog. Danaher (parent company) thus controls two sequential steps in the mRNA supply chain: the DNA template (Aldevron) and now the capping reagent (CleanCap license). This vertical integration within one conglomerate is itself a new concentration risk.
Business Wire ↗Origin2023
Aldevron was founded in 1998 in Fargo, North Dakota by researchers from North Dakota State University who identified an opportunity to supply pharmaceutical-grade plasmid DNA -- the DNA template used to make gene therapy vectors and, later, mRNA. Fargo is one of the least expected locations for a biotechnology CDMO; the company grew despite lacking proximity to the coastal biotech clusters because its founders built expertise in plasmid DNA quality and regulatory compliance that was genuinely differentiated. When mRNA vaccine technology proved viable in 2020, Aldevron was the primary US supplier of the plasmid DNA template that Pfizer and Moderna used to produce their COVID-19 mRNA vaccines -- a North Dakota company became critical infrastructure for the global pandemic response. Danaher acquired Aldevron in 2021 for $9.6B, one of the largest acquisitions of a private company based in the Northern Plains states in history.
Aldevron (Danaher) ↗