Touchlight completes expansion of one of world’s largest DNA manufacturing facilities in London

Betsy Goodfellow | May 24, 2023 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |  DNA, London, Manufacturing Facility, Touchlight, manufacturing 

Touchlight, a company that focuses on pioneering enzymatic DNA production, has announced that it has completed the redevelopment and expansion of its UK manufacturing facility within a repurposed Victorian waterworks by the River Thames in London, UK.

Following the expansion, the facility’s manufacturing capacity has tripled, meaning it can now produce more than 8kg each year; exceeding the current but growing global supply of plasmid DNA for genetic medicine.

The facility has 11 suites and two class B filling suites with class A filling cabinets, warehousing and a quality control laboratory capability.

DNA is utilised by various biopharmaceutical companies for its critical role in genetic medicines, such as mRNA vaccines and gene therapies, many of which can enable the potential of emerging new drug classes including gene-editing treatments and novel cancer therapies. Touchlight’s expansion will allow it to fulfil contracts to supply many biopharma companies, including Pfizer and Lonza.

Jonny Ohlson, Touchlight’s executive chair and founder, commented: “Touchlight has a long-held belief that scientists, like all creatives, function best in beautiful spaces. Whilst it may not, on the face of it, seem logical to site a GMP manufacturing facility in a waterworks that has been derelict for 70 years, the site has a large footprint of beautiful Victorian buildings which, now converted, provide a stunning and iconic facility that is an inspiring place to work.  I am sure our Victorian predecessors would be proud that we have converted it into one of the largest capacity DNA manufacturing sites in the world today.”

Betsy Goodfellow