Touchlight Appoints Industry Veteran Will Downie as Strategic Adviser

DNA CDMO, Touchlight, has appointed Will Downie as a key adviser to advance its genetic medicine initiatives. Downie brings 30+ years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, having previously served as CEO of Argenta and Vectura Group, and before that as Senior VP and Chief Commercial Officer at Catalent.

Company founder, Jonny Ohlson, highlighted Downie's significant experience in pharma services, anticipating he would bring valuable insights and connections to establish Touchlight's synthetic DNA platforms.

Touchlight, a pioneering leader in synthetic DNA technology, is pleased to announce the appointment of Will Downie as a key adviser to support its mission in advancing genetic medicines. Downie’s extensive experience as an industry leader delivering strategic business growth across pharmaceutical services and product development positions him as a valuable contributor in further driving Touchlight’s synthetic DNA platforms forward.

Will Downie brings a wealth of expertise from over 30 years in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Most recently, he served as CEO of Argenta, a combined CRO/CDMO in the animal health market. Prior to this, Downie was Chief Executive Officer of Vectura Group plc, a FTSE-250 inhalation drug development and device company, which successfully led to a £1 billion strategic acquisition.

From 2009 to 2019, Downie held the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Catalent Inc., one of the largest CDMOs in the pharma services industry. Earlier in his career, he held key leadership roles with GE Healthcare, Sanofi, and Merck, gaining broad experience across global healthcare markets.

Will Downie commented: “I am delighted to be working with the Executive Team at Toughlight. The company’s pioneering technology is unique within the CDMO space and has the potential to transform the provision of genetic pharmaceutical products for patients.”

Jonny Ohlson, Founder of Touchlight, commented: “Will has significant experience in the pharma services sector, and he will provide valuable insights and connectivity to our team in establishing Touchlight’s synthetic DNA platforms and their key role in the advancement of genetic medicines.”

Touchlight’s unique enzymatic synthetic DNA technology offers a powerful solution for the scalable and rapid production of genetic material, critical for next-generation therapies and vaccines. Downie will support the acceleration of Touchlight’s impact in the evolving field of genetic medicine.

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