Lonza and Touchlight Enter mRNA Collaboration

Lonza announced a collaboration with Touchlight, a biotechnology company specializing in enzymatic DNA production, on Sept. 6, 2022. Under the collaboration, Lonza will integrate Touchstone’s differentiated source of DNA in its messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, while Touchstone will widen the reach of its novel doggybone DNA technology.

According to a company press release, Touchlight’s enzymatic DNA technology is a linear, covalently closed DNA vector. It is produced through an enzymatic manufacturing process, which is designed to maximize speed, scale, and purity. This technology presents an alternative to working with plasmid DNA when working with Lonza’s mRNA manufacturing offering.

“The strategic collaboration with Touchlight enables Lonza to further enhance its position as a global leader in mRNA manufacturing,” said André Goerke, vice-president and business unit head, mRNA, Lonza, in the press release. “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.”

“We are delighted to provide Touchlight customers the benefits of an end-to-end mRNA offering through our collaboration with Lonza,” said Karen Fallen, CEO, Touchlight DNA Services, in the press release. “Lonza is the leading [contract manufacturing and development organization] 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.”

Source: Lonza