Touchlight Partners with SVF Vaccines to Advance Innovative Hepatitis B/D Vaccine to Clinic

LONDON, UK, April 09, 2026 / Biotech Newswire / -- Touchlight, a leading biotechnology company specialising in cell-free DNA manufacturing, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with SVF Vaccines to progress SVF’s innovative Hepatitis B/D vaccine into clinical development.

The collaboration leverages Touchlight’s proprietary doggybone DNA™ (dbDNA™) platform, a highly scalable enzymatic DNA technology designed to meet the growing global demand for genetic medicines and recognised by the industry for its superior manufacturability and functional advantages compared to traditional plasmid DNA (pDNA). Importantly, dbDNA’s capacity for dose sparing has shown significant promise, potentially delivering effective immunity at substantially lower doses compared to pDNA.

SVF’s novel vaccine design targets essential viral components critical to both Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis D (HDV) viruses, specifically the PreS1 region and the HDV large antigen. This dual-targeting approach not only stimulates robust neutralising antibody responses but also activates potent T-cell responses to eliminate infected cells, providing comprehensive protection against HBV and HDV infections.

Jill Makin, Chief Scientific Officer at Touchlight, stated: “This partnership with SVF Vaccines highlights the significant capabilities of our dbDNA platform in advancing innovative vaccines. SVF’s vaccine strategy is a bold and intelligent approach to tackling HBV and HDV. We are confident that our technology will play a crucial role in bringing effective and accessible treatments to patients globally.”

This collaboration represents a significant step toward addressing HBV and HDV, diseases affecting millions worldwide, by harnessing the power of advanced vaccine technologies.
Matti Sällberg, Chief Scientific Officer at SVF Vaccines stated: “This partnership represents an important step in advancing our Hepatitis B/D programme toward the clinic. By combining our immunotherapeutic vaccine design with Touchlight’s manufacturing capabilities, we aim to accelerate development and deliver a differentiated approach to these infections.”

For further information or to discuss how Touchlight can support vaccine development programmes, please get in touch: https://touchlight.com/contact/

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About SVF Vaccines
SVF Vaccines is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of next-generation vaccines and immunotherapies targeting serious viral infections. The company’s pipeline is built on proprietary antigen design strategies that aim to induce both potent neutralising antibody responses and durable T-cell immunity. By combining innovative immunogen design with strategic partnerships in manufacturing and development, SVF Vaccines is advancing a portfolio of programmes with the potential to address significant unmet medical needs. Their mission is to develop vaccines and immunotherapies in order to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases.

About Touchlight
Touchlight is an innovation-driven leading CDMO pioneering enzymatic GMP DNA production to enable the genetic medicine revolution. As pioneers with an FDA Drug Master File accepted in 2022 followed in 2025 with the world’s first cell-free DNA GMP license, Touchlight’s enzymatic DNA technology is on the cutting edge of viral vectors, mRNA, non-viral gene therapy, DNA vaccine, and gene editing innovation. With multiple client products already in the clinic, Touchlight’s evidence-based, synthetic DNA manufacturing solutions offer a scalable, sustainable alternative to plasmid DNA (pDNA) for all stages of pre-clinical, clinical and commercial development. The company and technology are built on the conviction that DNA is fundamental to the future of medicine. Traditional methods, based on bacterial fermentation, are slow, costly, and unable to meet the growing demands of genetic medicine due to limited scalability and speed. Founded in 2007, Touchlight’s team is inspired by breakthroughs in genetic medicine, recognising the urgent need for innovative DNA production techniques to support the future of genetic therapies. 
 
Contact
Touchlight 
Karen Fallen, Chief Executive Officer
Verna McErlane, Chief Commercial Officer
info@touchlight.com 
+44 20 8481 9200
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