The deal involves the manufacturing of mRNA-based vaccines, therapeutics and gene therapies.

Touchlight, a company which focuses on enzymatic DNA production to further advance genetic medicines, has announced a significant non-exclusive patent licence agreement with pharma giant, Pfizer.

Under the licence agreement, Pfizer gains rights to Touchlight’s enzymatic doggy bone DNA (dbDNA) patent portfolio for worldwide use. The product will primarily be incorporated into Pfizer’s manufacturing and commercialisation of its messenger RNA-based vaccines. It will also, however, be used within its extensive range of therapeutics and gene therapies.

Touchlight will receive an upfront payment from Pfizer, as well as clinical and commercial milestone payments and royalties upon reaching commercialisation.

Touchlight’s patented dbDNA technology produces a minimal, linear, double-stranded, covalently closed DNA vector through an enzymatic manufacturing process. dbDNA is uniquely positioned for the rapid, synthetic and scalable manufacture of guanosine monophosphate (GMP) DNA using a small, simple footprint.

The technology can also manufacture genes and accommodate sequences typically unstable as plasmid DNA in E Coli, such as those found in viral vector and mRNA production. In addition to mRNA vaccines, it is ideally suited for the development of DNA vaccines and advanced therapies.

Jonny Ohlson, founder and executive chair at Touchlight, said: “We are delighted to establish this agreement with Pfizer to licence our mRNA manufacturing platform. This agreement is an example of our technology’s potential to enable companies across the genetic medicine sector to simplify and accelerate DNA manufacturing through the clinic and towards commercialisation.”