Lonza and Touchlight collaboration will expands customer’s access to DNA – Labiotech.eu

Manufacturing partner, Lonza, has today (September 6) announced a collaboration with Touchlight, a biotech company that works with enzymatic DNA production enabling genetic medicine.

Through this collaboration, Lonza says it will have the ability to expand it end-to-end offering for mRNA manufacturing with an additional source of DNA raw material. This material comes from Touchlights doggybone DNA (dbDNA). Touchlight says it will be able to widen the channels making it easier for customers to get to the dbDNA technology.

The company developed thesynthetic DNA vector, known as doggybone -named after its schematic structure DNA or dbDNA and enzymatic manufacturing process, which they say enables them to produce DNA at unprecedented speed, scale and purity.

Lonzas customers will be able to access the enzymatic DNA technology; a linear, covalently closed DNA vector, produced using an enzymatic manufacturing process which enables GMP production.

Access to this technology, the companies say, will expand the options for Lonzas customers beyond the traditional method of working with plasmid DNA (pDNA), while continuing to benefit from the Lonzas integrated mRNA manufacturing offering.

Andr Goerke, vice president, business unit head mRNA, Lonza, said: The strategic collaboration with Touchlight enables Lonza to further enhance its position as a global leader in mRNA manufacturing.

We can now provide our customers with a strong foundation to deliver an end-to-end offering that includes access to a novel synthetic DNA technology. Such an integrated solution can prove beneficial in speeding up time to market, which is critical in the fast-paced industry of mRNA manufacturing.

DNA serves as the starting template for the production of mRNA. Through an enzymatic in vitro transcription process, this DNA sequence is then transcribed into a single-stranded RNA molecule, which is then processed into mRNA. Current mRNA-based therapeutics in development include vaccines for infectious diseases and immuno-oncology.

Karen Fallen, CEO, Touchlight DNA services, added: We are delighted to provide Touchlight customers the benefits of an end-to-end mRNA offering through our collaboration with Lonza. Lonza is the leading CDMO in mRNA manufacturing and has an established, global mRNA manufacturing network. The alliance allows both companies to innovate and to extend their offering on a global level.

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Lonza and Touchlight collaboration will expands customer's access to DNA - Labiotech.eu