Voyager Enters License for Next-Generation Capsid, Bringing Partnered Portfolio of TRACER-Enabled Gene Therapies to 14
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. recently announced Novartis AG has agreed to license a novel capsid generated from Voyager’s TRACER capsid discovery platform for use in a gene therapy program against an undisclosed rare neurologic disease target. This capsid license is being granted pursuant to the agreement between Voyager and Novartis originally announced in March 2022.
“Novartis is a global leader in gene therapy, and we view their continued selection of our IV-delivered, blood-brain barrier-penetrant capsids as strong validation of our TRACER capsid discovery platform,” said Alfred W. Sandrock, Jr, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Voyager. “We are proud of the continued success of the relationship between Voyager and Novartis, which now includes five gene therapy programs: Huntington’s disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and three undisclosed indications.”
In consideration for the current capsid license, Voyager will receive $15M upfront and is eligible to receive up to $305 million in associated potential development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, as well as tiered mid- to high-single digit royalties on a potential product incorporating the licensed capsid for this target.
Voyager’s TRACER (Tropism Redirection of AAV by Cell-type-specific Expression of RNA) capsid discovery platform is a broadly applicable, RNA-based screening platform that enables rapid discovery of novel AAV capsids to enable gene therapy. Voyager has leveraged TRACER to create multiple families of novel capsids that, following intravenous delivery in preclinical studies, harness the extensive vasculature of the central nervous system (CNS) to cross the blood-brain barrier and transduce a broad range of CNS regions and cell types. In cross-species preclinical studies (rodents and multiple non-human primate species), intravenous delivery of TRACER-generated capsids resulted in widespread payload expression across the CNS at relatively low doses, enabling selection of multiple development candidates in Voyager’s wholly owned and partnered gene therapy programs for neurologic diseases.
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VYGR) is a biotechnology company dedicated to leveraging the power of human genetics to modify the course of – and ultimately cure – neurological diseases. Our pipeline includes programs for Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and multiple other diseases of the central nervous system. Many of our programs are derived from our TRACER AAV capsid discovery platform, which we have used to generate novel capsids and identify associated receptors to potentially enable high brain penetration with genetic medicines following intravenous dosing. Some of our programs are wholly owned, and some are advancing with partners including Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease; Novartis Pharma AG; Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.; and Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. For more information, visit www.voyagertherapeutics.com.
Total Page Views: 369
