Cyagen Biosciences

About Cyagen Biosciences

Founded in 2006, Cyagen Biosciences operates as a pivotal contract research organization (CRO) for the global biomedical research community, with its headquarters in Santa Clara, California, and facilities in China, Japan, and Germany. The company has positioned itself as a comprehensive, one-stop service provider for researchers engaged in gene-related studies, particularly within the preclinical and drug discovery phases.

Cyagen's business is centered on providing highly customized and technical solutions to academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and biotech firms. Revenue is generated on a project and product basis, offering a suite of services that include the generation of genetically engineered rodent models, cell and gene therapy (CGT) solutions, and the production of stem cell products. The company has delivered over 50,000 custom mouse and rat models, establishing itself as a major provider in this niche. Its services span the entire workflow from initial DNA vector construction and embryonic stem cell manipulation to breeding and phenotype analysis.

A core offering is the creation of tailor-made knockout, knock-in, transgenic, and humanized mouse and rat models, which are critical for studying disease mechanisms and testing drug efficacy. To accelerate this process, Cyagen developed proprietary technologies like TurboKnockout®, which can significantly reduce the generation time for complex conditional models. In addition to animal models, the firm provides a range of services for the burgeoning cell and gene therapy field, including AAV and lentivirus packaging, CAR-T/NK research solutions, and drug efficacy studies. This is complemented by a portfolio of research-use stem cells, specialized media, and differentiation kits.

Cyagen is also integrating artificial intelligence into its discovery platforms. The company developed the Rare Disease Data Center (RDDC), an AI-enabled database to help identify pathogenic mutations and design appropriate research models. Another platform, Abseek™, uses AI to streamline the discovery and engineering of therapeutic antibodies. The company has received venture capital backing, securing $41 million in a Series B funding round in February 2020 from investors including China Merchants Securities and GF Xinde Investment Management.