GeneOne Life Science

What GeneOne Life Science does

GeneOne Life Science (진원생명과학, KOSPI: 011000) is a Seoul-based biopharmaceutical R&D company founded in 1976 that develops nucleic acid-based vaccines and therapeutics, including DNA vaccines, mRNA vaccines, and gene therapy products. Its wholly-owned US subsidiary VGXI, Inc. (Houston, Texas) operates a cGMP plasmid DNA contract manufacturing organization (CDMO), serving as the company's commercial arm and generating contract revenue from global biotech and pharmaceutical clients. The internal pipeline spans infectious disease vaccines (Zika GLS-5700, MERS GLS-5300, SFTS GLS-5140, COVID-19 GLS-5310, Hepatitis B/C, shingles GLS-5100), oncology candidates (HER2-positive breast cancer GLS-7000, personalized neoantigen therapy via Geneos partnership), and rare disease therapeutics (Hemophilia A GLS-7100).

The company's technology platform centers on proprietary nucleic acid design and manufacturing capabilities. The Gene-Derm device is a suction-based intradermal delivery system that activates the CLIC/GEEC endocytosis pathway for needle-free DNA vaccine administration, published in Science Advances. VGXI's AirMix process is an automated cGMP manufacturing technique for high-quality plasmid DNA with short lead times. The company holds exclusive mRNA vaccine technology licensed from Houston Methodist Hospital and collaborates with Rutgers University on a microfluidic electroporation single-cell delivery system achieving 95% gene delivery efficiency for CAR-T applications. Patents span the US, Europe, Japan, and India, with clinical results published in NEJM (Zika), Lancet Infectious Diseases (MERS), and Nature Communications (SFTS).

GeneOne generates revenue through three primary streams: CDMO contract manufacturing services (VGXI supplies plasmid DNA and mRNA via contracts typically ranging $1.3M–$3.8M per agreement), licensing and milestone payments (notably the 2013 Roche hepatitis B vaccine deal valued at $3M upfront plus up to $220M in milestones and royalties), and non-dilutive government grants (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, CEPI, DARPA, Korea CDC, IVI). The company sells directly to enterprise pharmaceutical clients, government health agencies, and research institutions. Manufacturing operations span the existing Houston facility (~500L, at full capacity since 2019) and a new Conroe, Texas facility under construction with 5,000L capacity (10x scale), with 21 additional acres secured for expansion to 7,500L. The company underwent significant restructuring in 2026, including an 81B KRW capital raise with Dongbang Growth Investment Fund No. 1 becoming the largest shareholder.

Name

GeneOne Life Science

Legal name

진원생명과학(주)

Website

https://genels.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

GeneOne Life Science is a South Korean biopharmaceutical R&D company developing DNA and mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, with a wholly-owned US CDMO subsidiary (VGXI) providing cGMP plasmid DNA contract manufacturing services globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biopharmaceuticals

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Gene Therapy CDMO (Viral Vector Manufacturing) (HLAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gene Therapy Vector Manufacturing & CDMO Services (HLAAACAJ), Gene Therapy CMC/Process Development Platforms (capsid engineering, producer cell lines, plasmids, upstream/downstream) (HLAAACAN), Gene Therapy Delivery Devices & Administration Systems (catheters, intrathecal, ocular delivery) (HLAAACAL)

Keywords

• DNA vaccine development
• Plasmid DNA manufacturing
• MRNA vaccine platform
• Biopharmaceutical CDMO services
• Nucleic acid therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

Soeul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. CDMO/Contract Manufacturing Services: GeneOne operates through its US subsidiary VGXI, a cGMP plasmid DNA contract manufacturing organization. VGXI produces plasmid DNA as raw material for gene therapies, mRNA vaccines, DNA vaccines, and CAR-T therapies for clients globally. Revenue comes from supply contracts with US biotech companies, multinational pharma, and research institutions. Multiple supply contracts documented ranging from $1.3M to $3.8M per contract.
2. Licensing and Milestone Payments: GeneOne receives milestone payments from licensing deals. Notable examples include Roche licensing chronic hepatitis B DNA vaccine ($3M milestone + up to $220M additional milestones + royalties), CEPI funding for MERS vaccine, and government grants. Also receives milestone payments from international collaborations like the $73B won government research funding for COVID-19 vaccine.
3. Government Grants and Research Funding: Significant non-dilutive funding from Korean government agencies (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency) and international organizations (CEPI, International Vaccine Institute). Examples include 7.3B KRW for COVID-19 vaccine development and ongoing support for SFTS and MERS vaccine programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GeneOne Life Science is a biopharmaceutical R&D company that designs and develops nucleic acid-based medicines, including DNA vaccines, mRNA vaccines, and gene therapy therapeutics targeting infectious diseases, cancer, and rare disorders. Through its US subsidiary VGXI, it also operates a cGMP plasmid DNA and mRNA contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) serving global biotech and pharmaceutical clients.

Product overview

GeneOne Life Science is a biopharmaceutical R&D company specializing in nucleic acid-based medicines including DNA and RNA vaccines, along with contract manufacturing services. The company operates through two main business segments: (1) an internal pipeline of nucleic acid vaccines and therapeutics developed for infectious diseases (GLS-5100, GLS-5140, GLS-5300, GLS-5700, GLS-6100, GLS-6150, GLS-3000, GLS-5310), small molecule drugs (GLS-1027), and monoclonal antibody therapeutics (GLS-7000, GLS-7100, GLS-8000, GLS-8100); and (2) a contract manufacturing subsidiary VGXI offering cGMP plasmid DNA and mRNA production services. Key technology platforms include the Gene-Derm suction-based intradermal delivery device for DNA vaccines and AirMix automated manufacturing process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gene-Derm: Suction-based intradermal DNA vaccine delivery medical device used for COVID-19 DNA vaccine (GLS-5310) administration
• GLS-5100
• GLS-5140
• GLS-5300
• GLS-5700
• GLS-6100/GLS-6150
• GLS-5310
• GLS-1027
• GLS-1200

Products and services

• GLS-5100

Quantifiable outcome

• COVID-19 DNA vaccine GLS-5310: 93% seroconversion rate in Phase 1 interim results
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wistar Institute (USA)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2021Technology transfer agreement for Nipah and Powassan virus vaccine candidates. GeneOne to develop DNA and mRNA vaccines using its nucleic acid platform. Wistar developed vaccines during CSO Kar Muthumani's tenure at Wistar.
• Rutgers University (USA)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2021Joint development of microfluidic electroporation single-cell delivery system for CAR-T therapy applications. Patents granted in US, Europe, Japan, India. Also collaborated on Gene-Derm suction-based intradermal delivery platform published in Science Advances.
• Hanmi PharmaceuticalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Signed comprehensive cooperation agreement for mRNA vaccine large-scale production and global business network. Collaboration on next-generation production technology, COVID-19 and emerging infectious disease mRNA vaccines, and building a global nucleic acid business network.
• Geneos Therapeutics (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021VGXI supplies cGMP plasmid DNA for Geneos' GT-30 personalized neoantigen cancer vaccine (GT-EPIC platform) for hepatocellular carcinoma. VGXI completed rapid 5-day cGMP production for first patient. Long-term supply agreement in place.
• Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018Joint patent application for SFTS DNA vaccine GLS-5140. Results published in Nature Communications 2019.
• University of Pennsylvania (USA)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2018Licensed bitter taste receptor technology for respiratory treatment from UPenn. GLS-1200 developed based on this technology for sinusitis and COVID-19 prophylaxis. Also collaborated on CAR-T delivery technology.
• Houston Methodist Hospital / HMRI (USA)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Exclusive license for mRNA vaccine technology and production. VGXI licensed mRNA vaccine design and research technology and cGMP production capabilities. Ongoing collaboration on COVID-19 RNA vaccine (GLS-3000) and mRNA production process development.
• International Vaccine Institute (IVI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2016Co-developing MERS DNA vaccine GLS-5300 with full clinical development funding. IVI provided full domestic clinical development costs and coordinates emergency stockpile supply. Received multiple milestone payments including 2.1B KRW and 2.1B KRW additional tranches.
• Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2015Jointly conducted MERS DNA vaccine Phase 1 clinical trial with WRAIR. Results published in Lancet Infectious Diseases 2019.
• AstraZeneca / MedImmuneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2015Participated in DARPA-funded Ebola Eradication Program alongside MedImmune (AstraZeneca subsidiary), University of Pennsylvania, Emory University, and Vanderbilt University.
• Inovio Pharmaceuticals (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201513+ year strategic manufacturing and co-development partnership. Jointly developing multiple DNA vaccine candidates including MERS (GLS-5300), Zika (GLS-5700), COVID-19 (GLS-5310), and Ebola vaccines. VGXI produces clinical materials for Inovio's global trials. Also collaborated on HIV vaccine (PENNVAX-GP) and HPV cancer vaccine.
• Korea University / Seoul National University Hospital / Bundang Seoul National University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Korea University Guro Hospital and Bundang Seoul National University Hospital serving as clinical trial sites for MERS vaccine Phase 1/2a trials and COVID-19 vaccine trials. Yonsei University Severance Hospital and Busan National University Hospital for Hepatitis C vaccine trials.
• Laval University (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaborated on Zika vaccine GLS-5700 research including male infertility prevention effects of the vaccine.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Genexine: Korean biopharmaceutical company developing DNA vaccines and biologics with similar nucleic acid-based therapeutic approach. Competes in the Korean market for government funding and clinical partnerships.
• Samsung Biologics: Korean CDMO and biopharmaceutical manufacturer. Comparable as a Korea-headquartered large-scale biomanufacturing organization, though focused on biologics rather than plasmid DNA. Relevant regional peer with similar government and customer relationships in Asia.
• SK bioscience: Korean vaccine developer and manufacturer with infectious disease pipeline (including COVID-19 vaccines). Comparable in vaccine development focus and operating in the same Korean government procurement and public health ecosystem as GeneOne.
• Hanmi Pharmaceutical: Korean pharmaceutical company that signed a comprehensive mRNA cooperation agreement with GeneOne in 2021. Comparable in nucleic acid biopharmaceutical focus and operates in the same Korean market with similar enterprise customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• BioNTech: Major mRNA-based biopharmaceutical company with COVID-19 vaccine and oncology pipeline. Comparable nucleic acid technology focus and similar therapeutic target areas (infectious disease, cancer) to GeneOne's pipeline.
• Moderna: Leading mRNA vaccine and therapeutics developer. Comparable to GeneOne's expanding mRNA platform but operates at vastly greater scale and has established commercial mRNA products. Both rely on plasmid DNA as a critical raw material.

Direct peers

• Cobra Biologics (Charles River Laboratories): CDMO providing plasmid DNA, viral vector and protein services for gene therapy and vaccine developers. Competes directly with VGXI in the cGMP plasmid DNA manufacturing space.
• Inovio Pharmaceuticals: Long-term manufacturing and co-development partner of GeneOne for DNA vaccines (MERS, Zika, COVID-19, Ebola, HPV). Both companies focus on nucleic acid-based vaccines with overlapping technology platforms and clinical pipelines, making them highly comparable as DNA vaccine developers.
• Aldevron: Major plasmid DNA CDMO serving gene therapy and vaccine developers globally. Directly comparable to VGXI in cGMP plasmid DNA contract manufacturing — both are key suppliers to biotechs needing clinical and commercial-scale DNA production.
• VGXI, Inc. (subsidiary itself — relevant as standalone comparison): GeneOne's wholly-owned US subsidiary that is itself a peer-level cGMP plasmid DNA CDMO. Listed separately as a peer because customers and market participants evaluate VGXI as a standalone CDMO brand alongside competitors like Aldevron and Cobra.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dong-il-interlining-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GeneOne Life Science