Touchlight, University of Nottingham Collaborate on Development of Zika Vaccine
Although it still has to undergo the preclinical and clinical trial process, the DNA vaccine—which could be created in as little as six weeks—does not require the cold chain storage that mRNA jabs often demand.
Touchlight, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that specializes in enzymatic DNA production, will be providing its branded dbDNA (doggybone DNA) to the University of Nottingham for research and development of a DNA vaccine that combats the Zika virus.1 The material used in the clinical study abides by good manufacturing practices (GMPs).
The plan is for University of Nottingham scientists to lead the charge in designing the vaccine, which is expected to have the capability to be produced within weeks. Specifically, the process will involve a synthetic manufacture of the vaccine as opposed to bacterial fermentation, which slices the development time from six months to six weeks.
This project will be spearheaded by Dr. James Dixon from the university’s School of Pharmacy, alongside Professor Janet Daly, director of the University of Nottingham’s Wolfson Center for Global Virus Research. The DNA vaccine will be administered via injection.
According to Touchlight, enzymatic dbDNA technology allows for a quick, scalable, and efficient way to develop vaccines by offering the capability to decrease dosage, while eliminating antibiotic resistance. DNA vaccines also don’t require the same type of cold chain storage that mRNA vaccines would demand.
“The Touchlight technology has enabled us to make rapid progress and will make it possible to produce large quantities of the DNA vaccine at [a] speed which is vital in pandemic prevention and our response to deployment of vaccines in the developing world and globally,” said Dr. James Dixon.
Touchlight executives are also excited for the endeavor.
“We are thrilled to support the University of Nottingham with our innovative dbDNA technology in the development of a Zika virus DNA vaccine,” noted Tommy Duncan, Touchlight’s COO. “We are committed to enabling developers of DNA vaccines by providing rapid, high purity DNA for vaccines against emerging pathogens.”
On the other hand, regarding mRNA, Touchlight recently signed a license agreement with GSK, which centers around using the CDMO’s enzymatic dbDNA technology for mRNA-based products.2
“GSK is a global leader in vaccination, and we are delighted they have licensed our proprietary enzymatic dbDNA technology for the development and production of their mRNA-based products,” commented Jonny Ohlson, executive chair and founder of Touchlight. “The adoption of Touchlight’s enzymatic DNA is gathering pace and becoming an important part of the advanced therapy supply chain. Our technology delivers the speed, scalability and high-quality DNA products that are essential for the next generation of mRNA therapeutics.”
References
1. Touchlight to supply GMP dbDNA to support University of Nottingham’s clinical study for a next-generation vaccine for Zika virus. Touchlight. August 21, 2024. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.touchlight.com/news/touchlight-to-supply-gmp-dbdna-to-support-university-of-nottinghams-clinical-study-for-a-next-generation-vaccine-for-zika-virus/#:~:text=Touchlight%2C%20an%20innovation%2Ddriven%20contract,vaccine%20targeting%20the%20Zika%20virus
2. Touchlight and GSK sign license agreement for use of enzymatic dbDNA production technology for mRNA manufacturing. Touchlight. July 23, 2024. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.touchlight.com/news/touchlight-to-supply-gmp-dbdna-to-support-university-of-nottinghams-clinical-study-for-a-next-generation-vaccine-for-zika-virus/#:~:text=Touchlight%2C%20an%20innovation%2Ddriven%20contract,vaccine%20targeting%20the%20Zika%20virus
