Touchlight’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Jill Makin, discusses how the rapid evolution of advanced therapeutics is reshaping the industry, and why cell‑free DNA is has emerged as a foundational technology for the next wave of therapeutic innovation. With pipelines expanding across gene editing, non-viral gene therapies (NVGT), and viral vector–based therapies, developers are facing unprecedented pressure to improve speed, affordability, and manufacturability.

Moderated by Will Downie, Touchlight Non-Executive Director and Operating Partner with Advent International. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of both Argenta and Vectura.

Topics will include:

• Why cell‑free DNA is becoming essential infrastructure for modern genetic medicines, and how it addresses key bottlenecks in purity, scalability, and regulatory expectations.
• How gene editing and NVGT programs depend on cell‑free circular single-stranded DNA to unlock their full therapeutic promise.
• How viral vector programs can dramatically reduce cost-of-goods (COGS) and accelerate timelines by replacing plasmid‑based workflows with cell‑free DNA.

AAV gene therapy is advancing rapidly—but its future may hinge on manufacturing economics, not science. As therapeutic doses climb and programs scale, cost of goods (COG) is emerging as a critical barrier, with plasmid DNA (pDNA) alone accounting for up to 40% of batch costs.

This article reveals how shifting to cell-free dbDNA fundamentally reshapes AAV manufacturing, delivering measurable gains in speed, purity, and efficiency. Economic modeling shows up to 22% COG reduction and millions in annual savings at commercial scale. For CSOs and CMC leaders, the implication is clear: DNA input is no longer a tactical choice—it’s strategic.

Download the full article to explore detailed modeling, optimization scenarios, and the long-term impact on gene therapy scalability.

This application note evaluates the in vivo performance of Touchlight’s doggybone DNA (dbDNA) compared with conventional plasmid DNA when delivered using Sartorius Polyplus non‑viral delivery reagents. The study investigates how dbDNA influences protein expression levels and durability across multiple tissues following both intravenous and intramuscular administration in mouse models.

Cell and gene therapy has long relied on plasmid DNA (pDNA) to power clinical innovation. But cell‑free DNA is already in use, treating patients, and rapidly becoming established as a scalable, consistent, and cost‑efficient alternative. As manufacturing demands grow, developers are reassessing which DNA format best supports speed, reliability, and future‑proofing.

Download this Q&A to get insights from Touchlight’s CSO Jill Makin, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, on the advantages of cell-free DNA, and the considerations developers should make when selecting a platform.

This application note presents a comparative study of enzymatically manufactured doggybone DNA (dbDNA) versus traditional plasmid DNA (pDNA) for lentiviral vector (LVV) production, using the FuGENE® 4K transfection reagent. The study evaluates transient transfection of third‑generation lentiviral systems in HEK293T cells, assessing performance across both adherent and suspension culture processes relevant to scalable LVV manufacturing.

The document details experimental results showing that dbDNA, when used with FuGENE® 4K, delivers higher infectious lentiviral titres than pDNA across multiple transfection conditions. Up to three‑fold higher titres were achieved in adherent cultures, with 2.4‑fold higher titres in suspension systems, alongside improved performance at lower DNA inputs. The findings also highlight cost‑of‑goods advantages and the suitability of dbDNA’s cell‑free, fermentation‑free manufacturing process for research and GMP‑aligned LVV production.

Download this application note to:

• Review comparative data on dbDNA vs pDNA performance in lentiviral vector production
• Learn how transfection parameters impact LVV yield in adherent and suspension HEK293T systems
• Understand the yield, scalability, and cost implications of using dbDNA with FuGENE® 4K

This application note presents an independent cost-of-goods (COG) analysis conducted by Decisional Point Limited to evaluate the financial impact of switching from plasmid DNA (pDNA) to Touchlight’s enzymatically produced dbDNA for AAV manufacturing. Leveraging an established AAV bioprocess economic model, the study compares baseline COG for dbDNA versus pDNA and explores multiple scenario analyses, including dose size, GMP DNA cost, and transfection material requirements to assess their influence on total COG, COG per dose, and COG across key process steps.

The results demonstrate a significant reduction in manufacturing COG when using dbDNA, highlighting meaningful potential savings for AAV gene therapy developers.

Download the application note to explore the complete analysis and findings.

Plasmid DNA has long been the workhorse of cell and gene therapy — supporting countless clinical programs and enabling many of the field’s most important breakthroughs. At the same time, cell‑free DNA has already reached clinical use, where it is increasingly adopted to treat patients and now operates alongside plasmid DNA within today’s manufacturing landscape. How can companies optimize and select the right DNA technology to meet evolving demands for scale, consistency, speed, and cost of goods?

Download the webinar to watch as two leading DNA experts have a candid debate with real-world data exploring where plasmid DNA continues to excel, where cell-free DNA is uniquely positioned, and how both platforms will shape the future of the cell and gene therapy landscape.