Vietnam's life sciences sector is beginning to position itself for the next generation of advanced medicines, with growing investment in biotechnology, biologics manufacturing and precision medicine creating new opportunities for oligonucleotide contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services.
Although no dedicated valuation has yet been published for Vietnam's oligonucleotide CDMO market, industry analysis estimates the sector is currently worth US$8–15 million in 2025 and could expand to US$25–40 million by 2030.
Oligonucleotides are short strands of DNA or RNA that form the basis of a new generation of medicines, including antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small interfering RNA (siRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), aptamers and gene-editing technologies. CDMOs provide specialist development and manufacturing services that enable biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to move these complex therapies from laboratory research through clinical development and commercial production.
The market encompasses:
- Process development
- GMP oligonucleotide synthesis
- Analytical method development
- Purification and quality control
- Scale-up manufacturing
- Clinical trial material production
- Commercial API manufacturing
- Sterile fill-finish services
- Regulatory and CMC support
Several structural trends are expected to drive market expansion across Vietnam:
- Government support for domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Increasing investment in biotechnology and precision medicine.
- Growth in RNA-based therapeutics and nucleic acid medicines.
- Expansion of vaccine and biologics manufacturing capacity.
- Rising demand for outsourced pharmaceutical development.
- Stronger collaboration between Vietnamese research institutes and international biotechnology companies.
- Growing interest in contract manufacturing for export markets.
Vietnam's broader biopharmaceutical industry provides a strong platform for future growth. According to IMARC Group, the country's biopharmaceutical market reached US$1.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to US$2.8 billion by 2034. Demand is being driven by increasing chronic disease prevalence, healthcare investment and government initiatives to strengthen domestic pharmaceutical production.
The biologics sector is also expanding rapidly. IMARC Group estimates Vietnam's biologics market reached US$2.0 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow to US$3.7 billion by 2034. This growth is encouraging investment in advanced manufacturing capabilities that could eventually support oligonucleotide production alongside monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins and other biologic therapies.
Globally, the oligonucleotide manufacturing sector is expanding at an exceptional pace. Grand View Research estimates the global oligonucleotide CDMO market was valued at US$911.8 million in 2024 and is projected to reach approximately US$3.17 billion by 2033, driven by the rapid growth of antisense, siRNA and RNA-based drug pipelines and increasing outsourcing by biotechnology companies.
The wider oligonucleotide ecosystem is also experiencing sustained growth. According to IMARC Group, the global oligonucleotide synthesis market reached US$3.7 billion in 2025 and is forecast to expand to US$8.7 billion by 2034, reflecting increasing use of oligonucleotides in therapeutics, diagnostics, genomics and gene-editing applications.
Technological advances are reshaping manufacturing capabilities. Automated synthesis platforms, continuous manufacturing, advanced purification technologies, digital quality control and artificial intelligence-enabled process optimisation are improving production efficiency while supporting the stringent quality requirements needed for RNA therapeutics. As more oligonucleotide drugs progress through clinical development, demand for highly specialised CDMO partners is expected to increase significantly.
Leading global providers including Lonza, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Nitto Avecia, Curia, Bachem, WuXi STA, Agilent Technologies, Axolabs, Recipharm and Eurofins continue to expand their oligonucleotide manufacturing capabilities to support the growing pipeline of RNA-based medicines.
While Vietnam's oligonucleotide CDMO industry remains at an early stage, the country's expanding biotechnology sector, improving manufacturing capabilities and strategic focus on pharmaceutical innovation position it well to participate in this rapidly growing field. For providers of oligonucleotide synthesis technologies, GMP manufacturing services, analytical platforms and advanced bioprocessing solutions, Vietnam represents an emerging long-term opportunity within Southeast Asia's evolving biopharmaceutical landscape.
