StemCell Therapy

New York, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Gene Therapy Industry" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05817594/?utm_source=GNW 6% in the year 2020 and thereafter recover and grow to reach US$3.3 billion by the year 2027, trailing a post COVID-19 CAGR of 19.5% over the analysis period 2020 through 2027. Governments worldwide are focusing all healthcare resources on fighting the global pandemic. Billions of dollars have poured into researching COVID-19 drugs, therapies and vaccines. Over US$8 billion globally excluding the U.S. has been pledged only for vaccine development. The U.S. has independently pumped billions of dollars into COVID-19 research and response. The massive reallocation of funds and reprioritization of efforts has left a glaring gap in other sectors of healthcare. Gene therapy which holds promise for treating cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia & AIDS, is slumping due to lack of research funds & reduced footfall of patients seeking treatment. Given the complex and fragile manufacturing and delivery system along with funding models of the industry, COVID-19 has emerged as a black swan event. Various players still find it challenging to ensure timely delivery of gene therapy to patients and clinical sites. There are concerns regarding administration of cell and gene therapies. The chances of virus transmission, mainly to people in the high-risk group, coerced hospitals to delay or cancel appointments. In addition, travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders discouraged patients from visiting to treatment centres. Treatments intended to be delivered into ICUs are being impacted by bed reservations made for patients with COVID-19 infection.

R&D and preclinical activities are also affected by supply shortages as a result of strong demand for consumables like reagents and PPE from COVID-19 laboratories. The clinical development segment suffered the most due to concerns regarding recruitment of patients and suspension of trial enrolments for protecting participants from the risk of infection. These issues are delaying activation of new sites, prompting players to postpone new clinical trials. However, the intensity of disruptions for cell and gene therapy trials was less in comparison to the pharmaceutical industry due to association of the former with rare and serious medical conditions, enabling participants to continue trials. While companies targeting paediatric diseases suspended trials, others dealing with oncology maintained the pace. COVID-19 has also impacted patient assessment and has made it difficult for companies to perform follow-up evaluations for trial participants. These issues are attributed to confluence of various factors like travel ban, withdrawal of several services from healthcare sites and the risk of virus transmission. In addition, these disruptions are anticipated to threaten existence of certain cell and gene therapy companies, particularly small-scale biotech players that are in pre-commercial phase and rely on external funding. As governments, stakeholders, pharmaceutical companies and venture capitalists invest in these players on the basis of research milestones, pipeline progress and data readouts, ability of these companies to secure future funding will also be affected.

In the post COVID-19 period, growth will be led by therapy indications in the field of oncology. Gene therapies hold promise to improve the condition of patients where traditional cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy are not effective. Blood and lymphatic cancers hold huge potential as gene therapies can manipulate the genetic information to target the cancerous proteins, thereby enabling the body to fight against the cancers. Oncology will remain the key area of focus for gene therapy applications. Cancer therapies represent the leading category, as is gauged through robust rise in the number of molecules being tested across numerous clinical trials. Novartis which recently bagged the U.S. FDA approval for Kymriah, a gene therapy designed for the treatment of hematological cancer, is seeking to gain commercial approval in established and emerging countries. Similarly, Kite Pharma, the developer of YESCARTA, the first CAR T-cell therapy approved for certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adults, has formed a separate team to provide end-to-end support for its Yescarta customers including hospitals and clinics. Such efforts by developers would augment the use case of gene therapies in treatment of large B-cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the high potential cancer treatment verticals. More developmental focus will also be shed on monogenic rare diseases which have clearer genomic targets and the unmet need in smaller patient populations. Majority gene therapies so far have come to market through accelerated review pathways of regulatory authorities. In the year 2018 alone, over 150 applications for investigational new drugs for gene therapies were filed. In the coming years, there will be significant improvement in the number of approvals for new gene therapies. The growth is anticipated to emerge from different modalities including RNAi, ASOs and CRISPR gene editing based therapeutics which offer long term opportunities for growth. These technologies are generating much excitement for investors.

Competitors identified in this market include, among others,

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05817594/?utm_source=GNW

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & REPORT SCOPE I-1

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY II-1

1. MARKET OVERVIEW II-1 A Prelude to Gene Therapy II-1 Classification of Gene Therapies II-1 Impact of Covid-19 and a Looming Global Recession II-2 COVID-19 Causes Gene Therapy Market to Buckle & Collapse II-2 COVID-19 Impact on Different Aspects of Gene Therapy II-2 Manufacturing & Delivery II-2 Research & Clinical Development II-3 Commercial Operations & Access II-3 Managing Derailed Operations II-4 Focus on Clinical Development Programs II-4 Targeting Manufacturing & Delivery Strategies II-4 Securing Supplies II-4 Remote Working II-4 Gene Therapy Set to Witness Rapid Growth Post COVID-19 II-5 By Vector Type II-5 VIRAL VECTORS ACCOUNT FOR A MAJOR SHARE OF THE MARKET II-5 Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors II-6 Lentivirus II-6 NON-VIRAL VECTORS TO WITNESS FASTER GROWTH II-7 US and Europe Dominate the Gene Therapy Market II-8 Oncology Represents the Largest Indication for Gene Therapy II-9 Market Outlook II-9 WORLD BRANDS II-10

2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS II-16 Recent Market Activity II-18 Select Innovations II-24

3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS II-25 Availability of Novel Therapies Drive Market Growth II-25 Select Approved Gene Therapy Products II-26 Adeno-associated Virus Vectors - A Leading Platform for Gene Therapy II-27 Lentiviral Vectors Witness Increased Interest II-27 Rising Cancer Incidence Worldwide Spurs Demand for Gene Therapy II-28 Exhibit 1: Global Cancer Incidence: Number of New Cancer Cases in Million for the Years 2018, 2020, 2025, 2030, 2035 and 2040 II-28 Exhibit 2: Global Number of New Cancer Cases and Cancer-related Deaths by Cancer Site for 2018 II-29 Exhibit 3: Number of New Cancer Cases and Deaths (in Million) by Region for 2018 II-30 Compelling Level of Technology & Innovation to Ignite Gene Therapy II-30 Promising Gene Therapy Innovations for Treatment of Inherited Retinal Diseases II-31 Gene Therapy Pivots M&A Activity in Dynamic Domain of Genomic Medicine II-31 M&As Rampant in Gene Therapy Space II-31 Gene Therapy Deals: 2018 and 2019 II-32 Emphasis on Formulating Robust Regulatory Framework II-33 Strong Gene Therapy Pipeline II-33 Gene Therapy: Phase III Clinical Trials II-33 OHSU Implements First-Ever LCA10 Gene Therapy Clinical Trial with CRISPR II-35 Growing Funding for Gene Therapy Research II-35 Market Issues & Challenges II-35

4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE II-37 Table 1: World Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2020 through 2027 II-37

Table 2: World Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 II-38

Table 3: World 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets for Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 II-39

Table 4: World Current & Future Analysis for Viral by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2020 through 2027 II-40

Table 5: World Historic Review for Viral by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 II-41

Table 6: World 10-Year Perspective for Viral by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World for Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 II-42

Table 7: World Current & Future Analysis for Non-Viral by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2020 through 2027 II-43

Table 8: World Historic Review for Non-Viral by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 II-44

Table 9: World 10-Year Perspective for Non-Viral by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World for Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 II-45

Table 10: World Current & Future Analysis for Oncological Disorders by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2020 through 2027 II-46

Table 11: World Historic Review for Oncological Disorders by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 II-47

Table 12: World 10-Year Perspective for Oncological Disorders by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World for Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 II-48

Table 13: World Current & Future Analysis for Rare Diseases by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2020 through 2027 II-49

Table 14: World Historic Review for Rare Diseases by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 II-50

Table 15: World 10-Year Perspective for Rare Diseases by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World for Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 II-51

Table 16: World Current & Future Analysis for Neurological Disorders by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2020 through 2027 II-52

Table 17: World Historic Review for Neurological Disorders by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 II-53

Table 18: World 10-Year Perspective for Neurological Disorders by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World for Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 II-54

Table 19: World Current & Future Analysis for Other Applications by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2020 through 2027 II-55

Table 20: World Historic Review for Other Applications by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 II-56

Table 21: World 10-Year Perspective for Other Applications by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World for Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 II-57

III. MARKET ANALYSIS III-1

GEOGRAPHIC MARKET ANALYSIS III-1

UNITED STATES III-1 Table 22: USA Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-1

Table 23: USA Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-2

Table 24: USA 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-3

Table 25: USA Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-4

Table 26: USA Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-5

Table 27: USA 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-6

CANADA III-7 Table 28: Canada Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-7

Table 29: Canada Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-8

Table 30: Canada 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-9

Table 31: Canada Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-10

Table 32: Canada Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-11

Table 33: Canada 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-12

JAPAN III-13 Table 34: Japan Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-13

Table 35: Japan Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-14

Table 36: Japan 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-15

Table 37: Japan Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-16

Table 38: Japan Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-17

Table 39: Japan 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-18

CHINA III-19 Table 40: China Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-19

Table 41: China Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-20

Table 42: China 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-21

Table 43: China Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-22

Table 44: China Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-23

Table 45: China 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-24

EUROPE III-25 Table 46: Europe Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Geographic Region - France, Germany, Italy, UK and Rest of Europe Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2020 through 2027 III-25

Table 47: Europe Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Geographic Region - France, Germany, Italy, UK and Rest of Europe Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-26

Table 48: Europe 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for France, Germany, Italy, UK and Rest of Europe Markets for Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-27

Table 49: Europe Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-28

Table 50: Europe Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-29

Table 51: Europe 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-30

Table 52: Europe Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-31

Table 53: Europe Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-32

Table 54: Europe 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-33

FRANCE III-34 Table 55: France Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-34

Table 56: France Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-35

Table 57: France 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-36

Table 58: France Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-37

Table 59: France Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-38

Table 60: France 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-39

GERMANY III-40 Table 61: Germany Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-40

Table 62: Germany Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-41

Table 63: Germany 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-42

Table 64: Germany Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-43

Table 65: Germany Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-44

Table 66: Germany 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-45

ITALY III-46 Table 67: Italy Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-46

Table 68: Italy Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-47

Table 69: Italy 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-48

Table 70: Italy Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-49

Table 71: Italy Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-50

Table 72: Italy 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-51

UNITED KINGDOM III-52 Table 73: UK Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-52

Table 74: UK Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-53

Table 75: UK 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-54

Table 76: UK Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-55

Table 77: UK Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-56

Table 78: UK 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-57

REST OF EUROPE III-58 Table 79: Rest of Europe Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-58

Table 80: Rest of Europe Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-59

Table 81: Rest of Europe 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-60

Table 82: Rest of Europe Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-61

Table 83: Rest of Europe Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-62

Table 84: Rest of Europe 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Application - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-63

ASIA-PACIFIC III-64 Table 85: Asia-Pacific Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-64

Table 86: Asia-Pacific Historic Review for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Viral and Non-Viral Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for Years 2017 through 2019 III-65

Table 87: Asia-Pacific 10-Year Perspective for Gene Therapy by Vector Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Viral and Non-Viral for the Years 2017, 2020 & 2027 III-66

Table 88: Asia-Pacific Current & Future Analysis for Gene Therapy by Application - Oncological Disorders, Rare Diseases, Neurological Disorders and Other Applications - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Thousand for the Years 2020 through 2027 III-67

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Global Gene Therapy Industry - GlobeNewswire

NEW YORKand RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sio Gene Therapies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIOX), a clinical-stage company focused on developing gene therapies to radically transform the lives of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the appointment of Guangping Gao, Ph.D., as Chief AAV Scientific Advisor. Dr. Gao, a world-recognized scientist and past President of the ASGCT, has played key roles in the discovery and characterization of adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes which were instrumental in the resurgence of gene therapy. In his advisory role, Dr. Gao will provide strategic guidance and scientific and technical input across Sios AAV-based gene therapy programs.

We are honored to welcome Dr. Gao, a gene therapy pioneer, to Sio Gene Therapies, said Pavan Cheruvu, M.D., Chief Executive Officer ofSio. Dr. Gao brings an incredible wealth of knowledge ranging from fundamental discoveries in viral vectors, preclinical and clinical gene therapy product development, to viral manufacturing for clinical research. We believe his experience and insight will be invaluable to our team as we continue to advance our pipeline and evaluate potential business development opportunities. We look forward to collaborating with Dr. Gao as we work toward our mission of providing transformative treatments to patients with severe genetic disease.

Dr. Gao said, Sios strategic approach to gene therapy directly targets the underlying disease biology, which I believe has the potential to lead to transformative and life-saving treatments. I have been impressed by the teams comprehensive execution in driving forward clinical programs while in parallel laying a strong manufacturing foundation to support their mission to deliver these treatments to patients as rapidly as possible. I am thrilled to begin my role at Sio and look forward to leveraging my diverse experiences to fully unlock the potential of their gene therapy portfolio."

Dr. Gao is Co-Director of the Li Weibo Institute for Rare Disease Research, Director of the Horae Gene Therapy Center and Viral Vector Core, Professor of Microbiology and Physiological Systems and Penelope Booth Rockwell Professor in Biomedical Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr Gaos more than 30 years in scientific research in molecular genetics have made foundational contributions to the development of viral vector gene therapy for rare genetic diseases including the discovery, development and engineering of novel viral vectors for in vivo gene delivery as well as preclinical and clinical gene therapy product development. He has also made significant contributions to the development of viral vector manufacturing for gene therapy applications and the development of technology platforms for novel gene therapy approaches in humans. Dr. Gao has published nearly 300 research papers and serves as the Executive Editor-In-Chief of Human Gene Therapy, Senior Editor of the Gene and Cell Therapy book series and serves on the Editorial Boards of several other gene therapy and virology journals. In addition to previously serving as President of ASGCT, he is an elected fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors, holding 174 patents and an additional 373 patent applications pending with over 10 licensed to pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Gao is co-founder of Voyager Therapeutics, Adrenas Therapeutics and Aspa Therapeutics.

About Sio Gene Therapies

Sio Gene Therapies combines cutting-edge science with bold imagination to develop genetic medicines that aim to radically improve the lives of patients. Our current pipeline of clinical-stage candidates includes the first potentially curative AAV-based gene therapies for GM1 gangliosidosis and Tay-Sachs/Sandhoff diseases, which are rare and uniformly fatal pediatric conditions caused by single gene deficiencies. We are also expanding the reach of gene therapy to highly prevalent conditions such as Parkinsons disease, which affects millions of patients globally. Led by an experienced team of gene therapy development experts, and supported by collaborations with premier academic, industry and patient advocacy organizations, Sio is focused on accelerating its candidates through clinical trials to liberate patients with debilitating diseases through the transformational power of gene therapies. For more information, visit http://www.siogtx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The use of words such as "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, all statements Sio makes regarding costs associated with its operating activities are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by Sios management that, although Sio believes to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that Sio expected. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our operations, the initiation and conduct of preclinical studies and clinical trials; the availability of data from clinical trials; the development of a suspension-based manufacturing process for Axo-Lenti-PD; the scaling up of manufacturing, the expectations for regulatory submissions and approvals; the continued development of our gene therapy product candidates and platforms; Sios scientific approach and general development progress; and the availability or commercial potential of Sios product candidates. These statements are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties that are described in Sios most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 13, 2020, as updated by its subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Sio undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:

Media and Investors

Parag MeswaniSio Gene Therapies, Inc.Chief Commercial Officerinvestors@siogtx.com

Josephine Belluardo, Ph.D.LifeSci Communications(646) 751-4361jo@lifescicomms.cominfo@siogtx.com

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Sio Gene Therapies Appoints Gene Therapy Pioneer Guangping Gao, Ph.D., as Chief AAV Scientific Advisor - BioSpace

NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prevail Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: PRVL), a biotechnology company developing potentially disease-modifying AAV-based gene therapies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) onNovember 17, 2020issued a composition of matter patent, U.S. Patent No. 10,837,028,with claims directed to the AAV vector used in PR001, Prevails experimental gene therapy program for the treatment of Parkinsons disease with GBA1 mutations (PD-GBA) and neuronopathic Gaucher disease (nGD). The base patent term extends until October 3, 2038, excluding patent term extensions or coverage in additional related patent filings.

We are excited to make important progress this year with PR001, which is being evaluated in the Phase 1/2 PROPEL trial for patients with Parkinsons disease with GBA1 mutations and in the Phase 1/2 PROVIDE trial for patients with Type 2 Gaucher disease, said Asa Abeliovich, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Prevail. We are advancing clinical development of PR001 to make a potentially transformative difference for these patients who currently have no approved treatment options.

The Company recently announced that patient dosing has continued in the Phase 1/2 PROPEL clinical trial of PR001 for PD-GBA patients, and it expects to provide the next biomarker and safety analysis on a subset of patients in the PROPEL trial by mid-2021. The Company expects to initiate enrollment of the Phase 1/2 PROVIDE clinical trial of PR001 for Type 2 Gaucher disease patients in the fourth quarter of 2020 and currently anticipates it will provide the next update on PR001 biomarker and safety data for nGD in 2021.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designations for PR001 for the treatment of PD-GBA and nGD. In addition, the FDA granted PR001 Rare Pediatric Diseasedesignation for the treatment of nGD, and Orphan Drugdesignation for the treatment of patients with Gaucher disease.

About Prevail TherapeuticsPrevail is a gene therapy company leveraging breakthroughs in human genetics with the goal of developing and commercializing disease-modifying AAV-based gene therapies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. The Company is developing PR001 for patients with Parkinsons disease with GBA1mutations (PD-GBA) and neuronopathic Gaucher disease (nGD); PR006 for patients with frontotemporal dementia withGRNmutations (FTD-GRN); and PR004 for patients with certain synucleinopathies.

Prevail was founded by Dr.Asa Abeliovichin 2017, through a collaborative effort withThe Silverstein Foundationfor Parkinsons with GBA and OrbiMed, and is headquartered inNewYork, NY.

Forward-Looking Statements Related to PrevailStatements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Examples of these forward-looking statements include statements concerning the potential for Prevails gene therapy candidates to make a transformative difference for patients with neurodegenerative diseases; the expected timing of reporting additional interim data on a subset of patients from the PROPEL trial; and the anticipated timing of enrollment of and the next update on data from the PROVIDE trial. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: Prevails novel approach to gene therapy makes it difficult to predict the time, cost and potential success of product candidate development or regulatory approval; Prevails gene therapy programs may not meet safety and efficacy levels needed to support ongoing clinical development or regulatory approval; the regulatory landscape for gene therapy is rigorous, complex, uncertain and subject to change; the fact that gene therapies are novel, complex and difficult to manufacture; and risks relating to the impact on our business of the COVID-19 pandemic or similar public health crises. These and other risks are described more fully in Prevails filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Risk Factors sections of the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, and its other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, Prevail undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Media Contact:Lisa QuTen Bridge Communications LQu@tenbridgecommunications.com678-662-9166

Investor Contact:investors@prevailtherapeutics.com

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Prevail Therapeutics Granted Composition of Matter Patent for Experimental Gene Therapy Program PR001 - GlobeNewswire

Catalent has appointed Behzad Mahdavi, Ph.D., MBA, as Vice President of Open Innovation, Biologics, Cell and Gene Therapy. In this new role, Dr. Mahdavi will join a team of experts in Catalents Science and Technology Group that works with customers and external innovators in both small and large molecules, to accelerate the adoption of new development and drug delivery technologies, and scalable manufacturing processes and techniques. He reports to Julien Meissonnier, Catalents Chief Scientific Officer.

Dr. Mahdavi has more than 20 years of experience in developing and implementing growth strategies in the biopharmaceutical industries. Dr. Mahdavi joins Catalent after a 13-year career at Lonza, where he held the role of Vice President Strategic Innovation & Alliances, and various board-level positions at other innovative companies. Prior to joining Lonza, he was Chief Executive Officer of SAM Electron Technologies.

As a company, Catalent continues to invest in the rapidly evolving and growing areas of cell and gene therapies and next-generation biopharmaceuticals, which are redefining the landscape of treating diseases, commented Mr. Meissonnier. I am delighted to welcome Behzad to Catalent, as he brings significant experience in leveraging accelerated innovation with strategic external sourcing, to further strengthen our strategy of delivering the therapies of tomorrow to patients faster, and more efficiently.

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Catalent Appoints Open Innovation, Biologics, Cell And Gene Therapy VP - Contract Pharma

For the first time, researchers at the Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC) in Ribeiro Preto, Brazil, have identified a non-hereditary mutation in blood cells from a patient with GATA2 deficiency.

GATA2 deficiency is a rare autosomal disease caused by inherited mutations in the gene that encodes GATA-binding protein 2 (GATA2), which regulates the expression of genes that play a role in developmental processes and cell renewal.

An article on the study is publishedin the journalBlood.

The non-hereditary mutation may have acted as a natural gene therapy which prevented the disease from damaging the process of blood cell renewal. This meant that the patient did not develop such typical clinical manifestations as bone marrow failure, hearing loss, and lymphedema.

The researchers say that the findings pave the way for the use of gene therapy and changes to the process of checking family medical history and medical records for families with the hereditary disorder.

Luiz Fernando Bazzo Catto, first author of the article, said: When a germline [inherited] mutation in GATA2 is detected, the patients family has to be investigated because there may be silent cases.

The discovery was made when two sons were receiving medical treatment at the blood centre of the hospital run by FMRP-USP, both of which, in post-mortem DNA sequencing, showed germline mutations and GATA2 deficiency diagnosis. The researchers used next generation sequencing to estimate the proportion of normal blood cells in the fathers bone marrow, preventing clinical manifestations of GATA2 deficiency, and of cells similar to his childrens showing that 93% of his leukocytes had the mutation that protects from the clinical manifestations of GATA2 deficiency.

Following the sequencing of the fathers T-lymphocytes, the researchers found that the mutation occurred early in their lives and in the development of hematopoietic stem cells, which have the potential to form blood.

They also measured the activity of the blood cells, to see if they could maintain the activity of inducing normal cell production for a long time, by measuring the telomeres of his peripheral blood leukocytes. Telomeres are repetitive sequences of non-coding DNA at the tip of chromosomes that protect them from damage. Each time cells divide, their telomeres become shorter. They eventually become so short that division is no longer possible, and the cells die or become senescent.

The telomeres analysed by the researchers were long, indicating that the cells can remain active for a long time.

The researchers hypothesised that the existence of the somatic mutation in the fathers blood cells, and its restoration of the blood cell renewal process, may have contributed to the non-manifestation of extra-haematological symptoms of GATA2 deficiency such as deafness, lymphedema, and thrombosis.

Professor Rodrigo Calado, a corresponding author of the article, said: A sort of natural gene therapy occurred in this patient. Its as if he embodied an experiment and a medium-term prospect of analogous gene therapy treatment in patients with GATA2 deficiency.

The findings help us understand better how stem cells can recover by repairing an initial genetic defect.

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Non-hereditary mutation acts as natural gene therapy for GATA2 deficiency - Health Europa

Vivet Therapeutics and Pfizer are one step closer to bringing a gene therapy for a rare liver disorder into the clinic.

The companies announced Wednesday morning that the FDA has accepted its IND application for a Phase I/II study in the treatment of Wilsons disease. The study, evaluating a program dubbed VTX-801, is expected to launch early next year.

VTX-801 is an rAAV-based gene therapy vector designed to deliver a protein called ATP7B in the hopes of restoring copper homeostasis, reversing liver pathology and reducing copper accumulation in the brain, as it was shown to do in mouse models.

The study will be open label and not be randomized. Researchers will give a one-time IV infusion of the gene therapy in up to 16 adult patients, with the goal of evaluating three different dosage levels. Ultimately, the companies set a primary endpoint for safety and tolerability after 52 weeks.

In March 2019, Pfizer acquired a minority stake in the company, and in September, the big pharma agreed to manufacture the VTX-801 vector for this Phase I/II study. Max Gelman

Florida-based biotech Generex has inked the biggest deal (it) could even imagine, bagging $50 million from a consortium of Chinese institutions that licensed its Ii-Key vaccine tech for infectious diseases and cancer.

Comprising hybrid peptides and a suppression, the platform has spawned a vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 in addition to a pipeline of immuno-oncology therapies.

We are able to generate a detailed immune activation profile of our Ii-Key vaccine candidates by screening blood samples from COVID-19 recovered patients, explained Richard Purcell, EVP of R&D.

In addition to the upfront fee for the overall deal, the unnamed partners have handed over $5 million to license the Covid-19 vaccine candidate and promised a $20 million success fee if its approved in China. Separate contracts for the other indications are being finalized. Amber Tong

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News briefing: Pfizer and Vivet get the OK to start gene therapy trial for rare liver disorder; Florida biotech inks $50M China deal - Endpoints News

Just a few months after withdrawing its IPO filing, 4D Molecular Therapeutics is seeking to go public once again.

The Emeryville, CA-based company submitted a new S-1 on Tuesday, detailing plans for a $75 million raise as it aims for the second time to hit the Nasdaq. 4DMT had previously sought a $100 million IPO back in September 2019, but withdrew the filing in July of this year after completing a $75 million Series C in June.

Should 4DMT complete the transition to a public company this time around, theyll join a crowded IPO party thats lasted nearly the entire year.

Nasdaq head of healthcare listings Jordan Saxe provided the most recent tally for biotech IPOs in late October, counting 72 companies going public at the time. Combined, those outlets have raised roughly $13.2 billion. The debuts have slowed since the summer, but Saxe pegged a fair estimate of 75 IPOs and just under $14 billion in proceeds to round out 2020.

Several factors have contributed to this years wave, Saxe previously told Endpoints News, as the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted innovation and crossover investors have steadily increased biotech investments in the second half of the 2010s. The pandemic economy has also made biotech companies more appealing given that theyre less reliant on quarter-to-quarter sales numbers.

In the last four years, only 2018 comes close in terms of the sheer amount of biotechs shooting for Wall Street. That years tab totaled 56 IPOs, according to independent analyst Brad Loncar.

Within the new S-1, 4DMT didnt provide too much detail about how much money theyd spend on each of their programs. The company did list, however, that ongoing clinical trials for their leading programs 4D-310 and 4D-125 would be their top priority. Both of those candidates are currently in Phase I/II with data likely coming next year.

The main research driving the company has been building out a base of more than a billion vector capsid sequences, which CEO David Kirn said in June needed years to take place. 4DMT needed that time to run the sequences through non-human primates to see which shells were the least toxic and most likely to prevent antibody resistance.

By doing so, the biotech hopes this screening model can help find the capsids most suitable for the vector delivery of gene therapies.

4DMTs lead candidate, 4D-310, is intended to treat Fabry disease, with the goal of initially treating early onset versions before expanding into severe, late-onset patients. 4D-125, meanwhile, has the goal of treating an inherited vision loss disorder called XLRP. Roche has partnered with 4DMT to in-license the program before it begins a pivotal trial.

The biotech is also conducting a Phase I study in 4D-110, which is targeted at patients with choroideremia related to mutations in the CHM gene.

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4DMT shoots for a $75M IPO, its second attempt to go public with its gene therapy vector programs - Endpoints News

Nov. 16, 2020 12:30 UTC

- Highly innovative genome editing technology platform accelerates and broadens ElevateBios cell and gene therapy enabling technologies

- LifeEDIT Therapeutics to develop its own pipeline of potentially life-transforming therapeutics

- LifeEDIT Therapeutics to leverage its novel gene editing platform with strategic partners including ElevateBio portfolio companies

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ElevateBio, a Cambridge-based cell and gene therapy holding company, and AgBiome, a leader in developing innovative products from the Earth's microbial communities, today announced that LifeEDIT Therapeutics has joined ElevateBios growing portfolio of therapeutic, technology and manufacturing companies. LifeEDIT Therapeutics combines a highly innovative genome editing platform, derived from AgBiomes massive proprietary microbial library, with ElevateBios proven expertise in the discovery and development of new cell and gene therapies. LifeEDIT will continue to develop internal cell and gene therapies while further strengthening its platform of diverse genome-editing enzymes and provide gene editing expertise to strategic partners including ElevateBio portfolio companies. AgBiome retains rights for gene editing in agriculture, animal health, and diagnostics.

Genome editing technologies have revolutionized the way we develop cell and gene therapies and regenerative medicines, said Mitchell Finer, Ph.D., President, ElevateBio BaseCamp, and newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, LifeEDIT Therapeutics. However, in order to realize the promise of, and democratize, these highly innovative therapeutic approaches, the field needs to access novel RNA-guided nucleases and base editors that offer greater specificity and broader genome coverage, which LifeEDIT can provide. LifeEDITs genome editing platform is one of the most versatile in the field and was the natural fit as we continue to build a world leading cell and gene therapy offering.

Members of ElevateBio will join the newly formed LifeEDIT Therapeutics management team, which will continue to benefit from its existing visionary scientific leadership and research team. The combined executive team will include:

Over the last 18 months we have built a truly unique platform of numerous RNA-guided nucleases with diverse PAM requirements, for which weve been able to show functional activity, said Tedd Elich, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, LifeEDIT Therapeutics. The wide range of gene editing enzymes across our platform increases our ability to target any genomic sequence of interest and will allow us to tackle some of the most challenging diseases, bringing desperately needed, potentially curative, therapies to patients in need.

"AgBiome's GENESISTM platform is built on our microbial collection, their complete genome sequences, and our industry-best data science platform to identify new useful functions, said Eric Ward Co-Chief Executive Officer, AgBiome. This unique resource formed the basis for the many genome editing technologies that are now part of LifeEDIT Therapeutics. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the LifeEDIT team as they build a world-class pipeline of clinical candidates and bring a broad array of genome editing technologies to innovators across the biotechnology industry."

About Genome Editing and LifeEDIT Therapeutics Platform

Genome editing technologies have revolutionized the way cell and gene therapies and regenerative medicines are discovered and developed by allowing genetic material to be removed, added, or altered at specific locations in the genome. While these technologies are in widespread use experimentally, enzymes that offer broader coverage and greater specificity are needed for creating novel cell and gene therapies.

To meet the need for better genome editing approaches, LifeEDIT Therapeutics has built one of the worlds largest and most diverse arrays of novel RNA-guided nucleases (RGNs) and base editors that are active in mammalian cells. These RGNs were developed using AgBiomes proprietary collection of more than 90,000 microbes and their complete genomes. LifeEDIT Therapeutics is investigating these proprietary RGNs, which are sourced exclusively from non-pathogenic organisms, to develop new gene editing tools with higher fidelity, novel functionality, reduced immune response risk, and easier delivery. LifeEDIT Therapeutics nuclease collection also has a broad range of Protospacer Adjacent Motifs (PAMs) short sequences that must follow the targeted DNA sequence in order for the enzyme to make cuts that offer unprecedented access to genomic loci of interest. The LifeEDIT Therapeutics RGNs offer flexible editing options which encompass knock-out and knock-in capabilities, transcriptional regulation, and base editing when coupled with its proprietary deaminases.

LifeEDIT Therapeutics next generation editing systems will propel the development of novel human therapeutics by enabling ex vivo engineering for cell therapies and regenerative medicines and in vivo delivery of gene therapies. In addition to developing its own pipeline of cell and gene therapies, LifeEDIT Therapeutics will continue to build its platform of novel nucleases, provide gene editing expertise to strategic partners and ElevateBios portfolio companies, and form other third-party partnerships to discover and develop new therapies.

About ElevateBio

ElevateBio, LLC, is a Cambridge-based creator and operator of a portfolio of innovative cell and gene therapy companies. It begins with an environment where scientific inventors can transform their visions for cell and gene therapies into reality for patients with devastating and life-threatening diseases. Working with leading academic researchers, medical centers, and corporate partners, ElevateBios team of scientists, drug developers, and company builders are creating a portfolio of therapeutics companies that are changing the face of cell and gene therapy and regenerative medicine. Core to ElevateBios vision is BaseCamp, a centralized state-of-the-art innovation and manufacturing center, providing fully integrated capabilities, including basic and translational research, process development, clinical development, cGMP manufacturing, and regulatory affairs across multiple cell and gene therapy and regenerative medicine technology platforms. ElevateBio portfolio companies, as well as select strategic partners, are supported by ElevateBio BaseCamp in the advancement of novel cell and gene therapies.

ElevateBios investors include F2 Ventures, MPM Capital, EcoR1 Capital, Redmile Group, Samsara BioCapital, The Invus Group, Emerson Collective, Surveyor Capital (A Citadel company), EDBI, and Vertex Ventures.

ElevateBio is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass, with ElevateBio BaseCamp located in Waltham, Mass. For more information, please visit http://www.elevate.bio.

About AgBiome

AgBiome partners with the microbial world to improve our planet. AgBiome discovers and develops innovative biological and trait products for crop protection. The proprietary GENESIS discovery platform efficiently captures diverse, unique microbes for agriculturally relevant applications, and screens them with industry-best assays for insect, disease, and nematode control. Through its commercial subsidiary, AgBiome develops and sells proprietary crop protection solutions. The first of these, Howler, is a revolutionary fungicide for disease control in a broad variety of crops. AgBiome and Genective recently formed a strategic partnership to establish a new leader in insect traits, a market with over $5 billion in annual opportunities. AgBiome has a global R&D collaboration with Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN), to develop nutritional health products for swine. AgBiomes investors include Polaris Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Fidelity Investments Inc., UTIMCO, Pontifax AgTech, Innotech Advisors, Syngenta Ventures, Leaps by Bayer, and Novozymes. For more information, visit http://agbiome.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201116005105/en/

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ElevateBio and AgBiome Announce LifeEDIT Will Join ElevateBio's Portfolio of Innovative Cell and Gene Therapy Companies - BioSpace

Maryland, US headquartered company, Orgenesis, is championing a model that aims to bring down those costs it works with partner hospitals throughout the commercialization process.

The companys CGT platform, consisting of a pipeline of licensed cell and gene therapies, scientific expertise, customised processing systems, and an ecosystem of healthcare providers and research institutes, is designed to provide a pathway for groundbreaking autologous therapies to become commercially available on an industrial scale and at prices accessible to large populations.

Orgenesis business model is one focused on decentralization, enabling precision medicines to be prepared on-site at hospitals. In this way, we can really expedite cell and gene therapy development, said Orgenesis CEO, Vered Caplan.

With operations in the US, Europe, Israel and South Korea, Orgenesis has now created an international network of point of care (POCare) centers to serve patients directly in the hospital setting.

Beyond the US, we have POCare centers in many countries in Europe such as Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Italy and Spain; we also have centers in Israel, in Korea and in India and we will be starting up soon in Dubai,said the CEO.

The goal is to make gene and cell therapies feasible for large numbers of patients, said Caplan. We used to work as a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) but we sold that business to Catalent at the beginning of the year.

The centralized processing and supply chain model only served to create a frustrating working environment, with plenty of constraints, said the Orgenesis lead.

We realized very quickly that we couldnt really ramp up to large scale relying on that kind of centralized model, particularly for autologous products, which represent most of the market today. It takes six months to train someone to work in a high-grade cleanroom there is a lot of work and expense involved in that and there is a limited number of patients that can be treated in such cleanrooms the utilization rate is very low - it [centralized processing and supply] is a very inefficient and costly way to supply and to develop medicine there is so much manual work involved, she told BioPharma-Reporter.

The company had been working for a number of years, investing a huge amount of effort in developing a range of automation solutions to supplant those manual processes, as well as building its mobile CGT processing labs and units (OMPULs), she said.

We had been fielding so many requests from hospitals that wanted to collaborate with us, asking us to make or scale up their CAR-T and other therapies. We realized that in order to get this done, we needed to take a decentralized approach and that we needed to provide a solution, not only for one hospital, but for every hospital that wanted these type of therapies; and we saw that such a model brings down the price of the therapy tremendously.

A hospital gives Orgenesis a license to work on the therapy, on the processing; production of the final product is automated and supplied via an on-site point-of-care processing unit. Orgenesis then sets about democratizing the treatment,making it available to any hospital in its POCare network.

The company says the final customized, automated processing system it has developed, with the integrated specific therapy, solves a variety of processing and cost hurdles. It results in a lower required grade of cleanroom, it simplifies facility management requirements, it enables multi-batch processing per cleanroom, which means reduced technical staffing. Moreover, the localized processing eliminates the many logistical difficulties associated with traditional, centralized manufacturing and transport.

Overall, it is said to provide faster turnaround, increased safety, and improved quality control management on-site.

Hospitals really want to supply CGTs, while patients are reading about such treatments and making inquiries of healthcare providers, she added.

Ours is really a combined licensing and service model.

We are like Uber. If you have a car, you want to make some extra revenue, you call up Uber and it gives you the network, the technology and all the operating procedures to be a taxi driver. That is very much what we do in terms of hospitals we give them the ability to be biotech companies, because this is not the standard thing they do, they dont want to take responsibility for cell and gene therapy it is too much for them. They want to treat patients, but they want to have that local supply, so we give them the technology and the capabilities to do that. We give them regulatory support for clinical trials, we give them CRO support, we give them a network - so they can function and do what they need to do, which is to undertake research and treat patients.

Orgenesis intends to leverage its network of regional partners to advance the development and commercialization of its therapeutic pipeline. Towards this end, it said its partners have committed to funding the clinical programs. In turn, the company typically grants its partners geographic rights in exchange for future royalties, and a partnership with Orgenesis to support the supply of the targeted therapies. Through this model, Orgenesis has already signed contracts, which it expect to generate over US$40M in revenue over the next three years, if fully realized.

On the therapeutic front, Orgenesis is focused on several key verticals, including immuno-oncology, anti-viral, and metabolic/auto-immune diseases.

It recently acquired Koligo Therapeutics, with the aim of leveraging Koligos 3D-V bioprinting technology across its POCare Platform. That technology, which utilizes 3D bioprinting and vascularization with autologous cells to create biodegradable and shelf-stable three-dimensional cell and tissue implants, is being developed for diabetes and pancreatitis, with longer term applications for neural, liver, and other cell/tissue transplants.

In February this year, Orgenesis announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with the John Hopkins University to utilize the POCare platform to develop and supply a variety of CGTs including cell-based immunotherapy technologies.

And the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) joined its POCare network in January. The collaboration will involve the scale up and integration of UC Davis lentiviral vector process.

Today we are very much in validation mode. Most of the therapies in this space, and the ones we have licensed from the hospitals I think we have about 25 today are all at different stages of clinical development. Some have been used to treat patients but that has all been done under hospital exception.

When we adopt a therapy into the network, we run it through the entire R&D, formal clinical and regulatory processes as [our goal] is a harmonized process, to have the same standard [in our closed systems] at our [POCare] centers, whether that is in Germany or Korea, said the CEO.

Excerpt from:
Orgenesis CEO talks disruption: 'We are the Uber of the cell and gene therapy space' - BioPharma-Reporter.com

UCB has struck a deal to buy gene therapy startup Handl Therapeutics. The takeover, which was disclosed alongside a separate gene therapy collaboration, positions UCB to accelerate its push into genetic medicines.

In recent years, UCB has quietly built out its genetic medicine capabilities, buying Element Genomics for a small sum in 2018 while hiring gene therapy specialists and creating plans to refurbish an ex-Eli Lilly R&D site to support its aspirations in the area. Those efforts have been overshadowed by the big-ticket gene therapy deals struck by UCBs peers but point to its interest in the space.

UCB stepped up its gene therapy expansion on Thursday with two deals. UCB has bought Handl for an undisclosed sum to gain control of technology platforms designed to facilitate the development of AAV gene therapy treatments for complex neurodegenerative diseases.

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Handl was founded by Florent Gros, a Novartis veteran, and Michael Linden, an AAV expert who set up the Pfizer Genetic Medicine Institute in London. Working out of Leuven, Belgium, Handl has used the expertise and connections of Gros, its CEO, and Linden, its CSO, to identify and license technologies from Spain, Chile, the U.K. and Belgium.

The Chilean and Spanish academic centers that struck licensing deals with Handl put out statements about their work, disclosing an interest in treating diseases including Alzheimers, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinsons. Handl entered into a manufacturing contract with Novasep earlier this month, securing support as it wraps up ongoing IND-enabling studies and moves into the clinic.

As part of UCB, the Handl team will continue to work on that program and other projects from its base in Leuven. UCBs international research teams will collaborate with the Handl group.

UCB disclosed the Handl takeover alongside details of a collaboration with Lacerta Therapeutics, a Florida-based AAV gene therapy startup. The deal gives UCB access to Lacertas pipeline of CNS gene therapies. Lacerta will handle research, preclinical and early process development, leaving UCB to focus on IND-enabling studies and subsequent manufacturing work and clinical development.

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UCB inks Handl buyout to boost nascent gene therapy unit - FierceBiotech

Penn Medicine researchers have developed a new targeted approach to prevent a toxicity seen in the sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglia after gene therapy to treat neurological disorders. It's an important hurdle to clear, as the field works toward more safe and effective gene therapies for patients with disorders like spinal muscular atrophy.

"We believe that this new approach could improve safety in gene therapy universally," said first author Juliette Hordeaux, DVM, PhD, senior director of Translational Research in Penn's Gene Therapy Program.

The findings were reported online this week in theScience Translational Medicine.

The toxicity has not been reported in humans, but studies in nonhuman primates using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors to deliver corrected genes via the spinal cord fluid and intravenously have revealed problems of axonal degeneration in some tracts of the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. The cause was traced back to the dorsal root ganglion, or DRG, a cluster of neural cells on the outside of the spinal cord responsible for transmission of sensory messages.

This toxicity stems from the overexpression of an introduced gene, known as a transgene, in cells in the DRG, researchers from Penn's Gene Therapy Program found in the study. To correct that, they modified a transgene with a microRNA target designed to reduce the level of the transgene expression in the DRG. That alteration eliminated more than 80 percent of the transgene expression and reduced the toxicity in primates, the researchers report.

"We believe it is a safe, straightforward way to ameliorate the safety of AAV therapy for the central nervous system," said first author Juliette Hordeaux, DVM, PhD, senior director of Translational Research in Penn's Gene Therapy Program. "This approach could be used to design other gene therapy vectors to repress transgene expression in the cell types that are affected by the toxicity and not others, which is critical, because you need the expression everywhere else to effectively treat the disorder."

Gene transfer expert James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, director of the Gene Therapy Program, and professor of Medicine and Pediatrics in Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, served as the senior author of the paper.

After Penn researchers documented DRG toxicity in nonhuman primates, they began devising a way to overcome it. Though its asymptomatic in primates, the damage became clear under close study of histopathology in the CNS. Damage to the DRG in humans, researchers know, can lead to the breakdown of axons responsible for delivering impulses from nerves to the brain. Numbness and weakness in limbs, among other side effects, follow suit.

The observed toxicity in past animal studies was enough for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to recently place a partial hold on human trials administering a gene therapy vector into the spinal cord to treat spinal muscular atrophy, the genetic disease that severely weakens muscles and causes problems with movement. In the new study, the researchers injected vectors with and without an microRNA target, first in mice and then primates. microRNA regulates gene expression and makes for an ideal target in the cells. microRNA-183 was chosen specifically because it is largely restricted to the neurons in the DRG.

Administering unmodified AAV vectors resulted in robust delivery of the new gene into target tissue and toxicity in DRG neurons. Vectors with the miRNA target, on the other hand, reduced transgene expression significantly, as well as the toxicity of DRG neurons, without affecting transduction elsewhere in the primate's brain, histological analyses of the specimens up to 90 days later showed. An immune response was first believed to be causing the toxicity; however, the researchers debunked that hypothesis through experiments that showed how immunosuppressants and steroids were unsuccessful at alleviating the toxicity.

According to the authors, toxicity of DRGs is likely to occur in any gene therapy that relies on high doses of a vector or direct delivery of a vector into the spinal cord fluid. This latest study paves a path forward to prevent that damage.

"We were concerned about the DRG pathology that was observed in most of our NHP studies," Wilson said. "This modified vector shows great promise to reduce DRG toxicity and should facilitate the development of safer AAV-based gene therapies for many CNS diseases."

Reference: Hordeaux J, Buza EL, Jeffrey B, et al. MicroRNA-mediated inhibition of transgene expression reduces dorsal root ganglion toxicity by AAV vectors in primates. Science Translational Medicine. 2020;12(569). doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aba9188

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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New Approach Reduces the Toxicity of Brain-Targeted Gene Therapy - Technology Networks

First look at preclinical data in frontotemporal dementia with progranulin mutations (GRN-FTD) and new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) program

NOD2 mutation revealed as Crohns disease (CD) genetic target, associated with 7-10% of all CD cases in the U.S. and Europe

Deep dive on transduction enhancers and stable cell line technology innovations that support manufacturing for larger indications

BOSTON and LONDON, Nov. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchard Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ORTX), a global gene therapy leader, today previewed details on its investigational hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy research programs in GRN-FTD and NOD2-CD in advance of an upcoming virtual R&D investor event. The company also disclosed a new research program in ALS. A live webcast of the presentation will be available in the Investors & Media section of the companys website at http://www.orchard-tx.com starting Friday, November 13, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

We are excited to draw back the curtain at tomorrows event on our work in larger indications that form an important part of Orchards evolution as a company, including a new program in ALS, in addition to our work in genetic subsets of FTD and Crohns disease, said Bobby Gaspar, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer, Orchard Therapeutics. These research programs have been established using a scientific approach that has resulted in more than 160 patients being treated across multiple rare diseases and a recent positive CHMP opinion in the EU for Libmeldy. We believe that HSC gene therapy has the power to transform lives, and we are excited about the possibilities for Orchard and patients with its expanded application.

OTL-204 for GRN-FTD and new ALS research program

The GRN-FTD and ALS programs are based on the same HSC gene therapy approach that has been clinically validated with Libmeldy (OTL-200), Orchards program for metachromatic leukodystrophy, and is under clinical evaluation in the OTL-203 and OTL-201 programs for mucopolysaccharidosis type I and mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA, respectively. Development work in GRN-FTD and ALS will be undertaken as part of a collaboration with Boston Childrens Hospital (BCH), the University of Padua (UNIPD) and Prof. Alessandra Biffi, chair of the Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplant Division at UNIPD and co-director of the Gene Therapy Program at BCH.

Prof. Biffi commented, The ability of HSC gene therapy to restore healthy microglia function supports the use of this technology for the development of treatments for a variety of diseases with central nervous system involvement. In GRN-FTD, initial in vitro data shows progranulin expression and secretion in culture and uptake indicative of cross-correction. My previous work at BCH researching ALS supports the novel approach of treating this severe neurodegenerative condition by targeting the NOX2 pathway.

OTL-104 for NOD2-CD

Orchards preclinical program in CD targets mutations in the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) gene, which plays a role in immune cell response to bacterial peptides in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The companys proposed approach leverages this link, using gene modified HSC-derived cells (monocytes) to replace GI resident macrophages, thus potentially correcting the inflammation and colitis associated with NOD2-CD.

Manufacturing Innovations to Support Work in Larger IndicationsTransduction enhancers (TEs) and stable cell line technology (SCLT)

Orchard has completed a thorough TE screening process and identified and validated several novel TE compounds, which in combination, facilitate lentiviral vector entry into HSCs and have shown a greater than 50% reduction in vector requirements. The enhancers mode of action is expected to be effective in each of Orchards HSC gene therapy programs. An evaluation of enhancer-treated HSC engraftment potential in mice is currently underway.

The company has worked extensively with SCLT, including the technology licensed from GSK for certain programs, to both develop processes to efficiently create SCLs for new vectors and scale up the production of SCLs to clinical grade. Results have delivered consistent levels of high-titer lentiviral production comparable to those seen using conventional methods. Selection of single high-titer clones for new vectors using this method has been achieved within three months. Work at Orchard is ongoing to develop upstream and downstream processes to further improve productivity and scalability.

We have a clear roadmap for Orchards future that prioritizes strategic growth and draws on the many synergies across our scientific, manufacturing and emerging commercial platforms, said Frank Thomas, president and chief operating officer. Over the next 12 months we have an array of exciting commercial, regulatory and clinical milestones that will continue to showcase the breadth and depth of our advanced HSC gene therapy portfolio.

Webcast Information

A live webcast of the presentation New Horizons in Gene Therapy will be available under Events in the Investors & Media section of the companys website at http://www.orchard-tx.com. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Orchard website following the presentation.

About Orchards Research Collaborations

In connection with its previously disclosed collaboration with Prof. Alessandra Biffi, Orchard has signed agreements with Boston Childrens Hospital and the University of Padua to develop and exclusively license new ex vivo HSC gene therapy programs, patents and technologies for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. As part of the collaboration, Orchard has initiated sponsored research agreements and obtained exclusive options to license multiple new preclinical programs, including frontotemporal dementia with progranulin mutations (GRN-FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other rare and less rare indications.Orchard continues to support Professor Biffis labs in the development of new proprietary technology focused on enhancing the application of gene-modified HSC therapy for CNS disorders.

About Orchard

Orchard Therapeutics is a global gene therapy leader dedicated to transforming the lives of people affected by rare diseases through the development of innovative, potentially curative gene therapies. Our ex vivo autologous gene therapy approach harnesses the power of genetically modified blood stem cells and seeks to correct the underlying cause of disease in a single administration. In 2018, Orchard acquired GSKs rare disease gene therapy portfolio, which originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and theSan Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy. Orchard now has one of the deepest and most advanced gene therapy product candidate pipelines in the industry spanning multiple therapeutic areas where the disease burden on children, families and caregivers is immense and current treatment options are limited or do not exist.

Orchard has its global headquarters in London and U.S. headquarters in Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.orchard-tx.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Availability of Other Information About Orchard

Investors and others should note that Orchard communicates with its investors and the public using the company website (www.orchard-tx.com), the investor relations website (ir.orchard-tx.com), and on social media (Twitter and LinkedIn), including but not limited to investor presentations and investor fact sheets, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The information that Orchard posts on these channels and websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, Orchard encourages investors, the media, and others interested in Orchard to review the information that is posted on these channels, including the investor relations website, on a regular basis. This list of channels may be updated from time to time on Orchards investor relations website and may include additional social media channels. The contents of Orchards website or these channels, or any other website that may be accessed from its website or these channels, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements about Orchards strategy, future plans and prospects, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as anticipates, believes, expects, plans, intends, projects, and future or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements.Forward-looking statements include express or implied statements relating to, among other things, Orchards business strategy and goals, including with respect to its manufacturing strategy, expected future milestones, and its plans and expectations for the development of its product candidates, including the product candidates referred to in this release, and the therapeutic and commercial potential of its product candidates.These statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Orchards control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, these risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the risk that any one or more of Orchards product candidates, including the product candidates referred to in this release, will not be approved, successfully developed or commercialized; the risk that prior results, such as signals of safety, activity or durability of effect, observed from preclinical studies or clinical trials of Orchards product candidates will not be repeated or continue in ongoing or future studies or trials involving its product candidates; the risk that the market opportunity for its product candidates may be lower than estimated; and the severity of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Orchards business, including on preclinical and clinical development, its supply chain and commercial programs. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Other risks and uncertainties faced by Orchard include those identified under the heading Risk Factors in Orchards quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as subsequent filings and reports filed with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Orchards views as of the date hereof, and Orchard does not assume and specifically disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Contacts

InvestorsRenee LeckDirector, Investor Relations+1 862-242-0764Renee.Leck@orchard-tx.com

MediaChristine HarrisonVice President, Corporate Affairs+1 202-415-0137media@orchard-tx.com

1Knopman DS, Roberts RO. J Mol Neurosci. 2011, Onyike CU, Diehl-Schmid J. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2013 and Riedl L, et al Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 20142 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; European Crohns and Colitis Organisation (ECCO); Ashton, James J et al.Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2020 Feb

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Orchard Therapeutics Unveils Details on New HSC Gene Therapy Research Programs as Part of R&D Investor Event Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. ET - GlobeNewswire

Belgium-headquartered UCB has strengthened its gene therapy capabilities with a pair of deals a collaboration agreement with Lacerta Therapeutics and the acquisition of Handl Therapeutics.

Handl Therapeutics based in Leuven, Belgium specialises in adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid technology and has a focus on developing disease modifying gene therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

In addition to its own capabilities, Handl has built an international network to access expertise from a number of institutions. This includes platforms licensed from KU Leuven in Belgium, the Centre for Applied Medical Research in Spain, the University of Chile and Kings College London in the UK.

UCBs global footprint and scientific expertise in neurodegenerative diseases, coupled with our shared cultures of scientific advancement and commitment to patients, creates an exceptional environment in which we can accelerate the development of gene therapies and change patients lives, said Florent Gros, founder and chief executive officer of Handl Therapeutics.

UCB did not disclose the financial terms of the acquisition, although it did add in a statement that the Handl team will continue to be based in Handl and will work closely with UCBs international research team.

The Lacerta deal is focused on developing AAV-based therapies for patients with a central nervous system disease with a high unmet need. Like the Handl acquisition, UCB did not offer the financial details of the Lacerta research collaboration and licensing agreement.

Lacerta is set to lead research and preclinical activities as well as the early manufacturing process development, with UCB planning to lead IND-enabling studies, manufacturing and clinical development.

UCBs ambition for patients relies on our ability to innovate and deliver highly differentiated medicines, said Dhavalkumar Patel, chief scientific officer of UCB.

The acquisition of Handl Therapeutics and the new partnership with Lacerta Therapeutics offers us the potential to drive a fundamental change in how diseases are treated, by moving us from treating symptoms to disease modification and eventually towards a cure. he added.

The Handl and Lacerta deals build on UCBs previous acquisition of Element Genomics in 2018.

UCB paid $30m to access Elements platform of technologies aimed at improving the understanding of genome structure and function including CRISPR editing technologies used for genomic and epigenomic regulatory region analysis and modulation.

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UCB boosts gene therapy offering with a pair of new deals - PMLiVE

Researchers from Penn Medicine have developed a new targeted approach that modifies viral vectors and inhibits toxicities in the sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) that commonly occur following the use of gene therapy for neurological diseases.

This strategy will likely have several important research and clinical implications, as investigators in the field have worked tirelessly for years to develop safer and more effective gene therapies for neurological disorders. We believe that this new approach could improve safety in gene therapy universally, said lead author Juliette Hordeaux, DVM, Ph.D., senior director of Translational Research in Penns Gene Therapy Program, in a statement.

Many gene therapies use viral vectors, but these vectors can have adverse neurological effects. While these toxicities have not yet been observed in humans, nonhuman primate studies using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors to deliver corrected genes via the spinal cord fluid have shown issues of axonal degeneration in spinal cord and peripheral nerve tracts. In these studies, the cause of the issues led back to the DRG, comprising a cluster of neural cells found on the outside of the spinal cord that are responsible for delivering sensory messages.

In a recent paper published in Science Translational Medicine, Dr. Hordeaux and colleagues found a way of modifying these vectors so they ultimately avoid these dangerous side effects. They first found that the toxicities appear to come from overexpression of a transgene in cells in the DRG.

The researchers altered a transgene with a microRNA target that was designed to reduce transgene expression levels in the DRG. Ultimately, this modification eliminated over 80% of the transgene expression and resulted in drastic toxicity reduction in the studied primates

We believe it is a safe, straightforward way to ameliorate the safety of AAV therapy for the central nervous system, said Hordeaux about the studied modification. This approach could be used to design other gene therapy vectors to repress transgene expression in the cell types that are affected by the toxicity and not others, which is critical, because you need the expression everywhere else to effectively treat the disorder.

Senior author of the paper was gene transfer expert James M. Wilson, MD, Ph.D., professor of Medicine and Pediatrics in Penns Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Wilson, who left Solid Biosciences two years ago. Dr. Wilson has been discussing the potential adverse neurological effects of AAV vectors for several years.

Drs. Hordeaux and Wilson injected vectors with and without a microRNA target miRNA183 in mice and primates in the new study. The administration of unaltered AAV vectors led to robust delivery of the gene into target tissue as well as toxicities in DRG neurons. These effects occurred without impacting transduction in elsewhere in the brain, according to histological analyses conducted up to 90 days later.

The authors of the study suggest the toxicity of DRGs likely occur in a gene therapy relying on high vector doses or direct vector delivery into the fluid of the spinal cord. We were concerned about the DRG pathology that was observed in most of our nonhuman primate studies, noted Wilson. This modified vector shows great promise to reduce DRG toxicity and should facilitate the development of safer AAV-based gene therapies for many central nervous system diseases.

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New Targeted Approach Could Prevent Toxicities Associated with Neurological Gene Therapies - BioSpace

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AVROBIO, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVRO), a leading clinical-stage gene therapy company with a mission to free people from a lifetime of genetic disease, today announced positive new data across its clinical programs in Gaucher disease type 1, Fabry disease and cystinosis, further reinforcing the potential of ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy for lysosomal disorders. Additionally, AVROBIO is further expanding its lysosomal disorder pipeline with a new program in Gaucher disease type 3, which joins the recently announced program in Hunter syndrome in a synergistic portfolio of six programs designed to prevent, halt or reverse genetic disease.

Were delighted to report substantial new data across our three clinical programs. Three months post-gene therapy infusion, the first Gaucher disease patients levels of the toxic metabolite plasma lyso-Gb1, as well as plasma chitotriosidase, were lower than the baseline levels when the patient was still on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). With our Fabry disease data continuing to reflect sustained and durable results, with our first patient now out 3.5 years from dosing, we are planning our strategy to seek accelerated approvals in one or more major markets, said Geoff MacKay, president and CEO of AVROBIO. Additionally, the first patient in the investigator-sponsored trial for cystinosis, now out one year, remains off both oral and eye drop cysteamine and we are thrilled to announce that a third patient has been dosed.

As we move into the next stage of company growth, were expanding our lysosomal disorder pipeline with a new program for Gaucher disease type 3 and we plan to dose the first Hunter syndrome patient next year. We expect to be the first lentiviral gene therapy to the clinic across all six of these indications and in some cases, the first to be in the clinic with an investigational gene therapy of any type. We believe the new data weve announced today help de-risk our portfolio which leverages the same lentiviral gene therapy approach across indications, MacKay added. With strong clinical trial enrollment momentum coming out of the COVID-19-related slowdown, we anticipate dosing, enrolling or consenting five patients across our clinical trials this quarter, and dosing a total of 30 patients cumulatively across our clinical programs by the end of 2021.

Positive clinical data out as far as 3.5 years across a broad lysosomal disorder gene therapy pipeline

New clinical updates announced today include:

At three months post-gene therapy, no unexpected safety events or trends have been identified in the trial, with no serious adverse events related to AVR-RD-02 reported in the first patient dosed as of the safety data cut-off date, Nov. 3, 2020.

The company reported durable and sustained response in enzyme activity, substrate levels and VCN across patients in both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials as of the data cut-off date, indicating successful engraftment of genetically modified cells and endogenous production of the functional enzyme needed to break down toxic substrate and metabolites in patients. Updated biomarker data on kidney function show generally stable estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 patients. Historically, people living with Fabry disease experience a progressive, faster-than-normal rate of decline in kidney function, as measured by eGFR, whether or not they are on ERT, the current standard of care. AVROBIO believes the stability in eGFR for patients in its clinical trials to be clinically significant and relevant.

No unexpected safety events or trends have been identified in the trials as of the safety data cut-off date, Oct. 8, 2020. The eight serious adverse events reported in the two Fabry disease trials have been consistent with the conditioning regimen, stem cell mobilization, underlying disease or pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing low anti-AGA antibody titers have been detected in four patients in the Fabry Phase 1 trial and a transient low titer was observed but not detectable in subsequent measures in one patient in the Fabry Phase 2 trial.

No unexpected safety events or trends have been identified in the trial, with no serious adverse events reported as of the Nov. 2, 2020, safety data cut-off date.

Pioneering approach to personalized conditioning to leverage advantages of busulfan

The company also shared new data on the safety and tolerability profile of precision conditioning with busulfan prior to gene therapy administration. AVROBIO is pioneering a new approach called targeted concentration intervention (TCI) that enables precise dosing designed to optimize engraftment durability and head-to-toe reach of ex vivo lentiviral gene therapies. TCI aims to maximize the likelihood of engraftment while minimizing the risk of out-of-range side effects by targeting busulfan exposure to an area under the curve of 90 mg x hr/L over four days, called Bu90-TCI.

In AVROBIOs clinical trials to date, data suggest that side effects from its single-agent, single-cycle approach to Bu90-TCI conditioning may be predictable, manageable and transient. The side effects have tended to be mild to moderate in nature and typically presented one week after dosing and peak over three to four days before quickly subsiding. Unlike other conditioning agents, Bu90-TCI is lymphocyte sparing, meaning that important components of the adaptive immune system, B and T cells, are expected to be minimally affected.

Strategic pipeline expansion into relentlessly progressive lysosomal disorders

AVROBIO announced the addition of Gaucher disease type 3 to its pipeline, following the recent addition of Hunter syndrome, which is planned to enter the clinic next year. Together with the existing program in Pompe disease, these make up AVROBIOs second wave of clinical programs focused on life-threatening lysosomal disorders, with the goals of preventing the central nervous system and systemic deterioration that make lysosomal disorders so devastating, normalizing lifespan and lifting the burden of chronic treatment with ERT. New preclinical data suggest that AVROBIOs proprietary tagging technology, part of its industry-leading plato gene therapy platform toolbox, further enhances the potential of its investigational gene therapies in these disorders.

We believe that all six of our pipeline programs share tremendous synergies in clinical development, manufacturing, regulatory processes and commercialization. This second wave of programs will evaluate our promising investigational therapies in diseases with high unmet medical need for patients and families, said Chris Mason, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer at AVROBIO. We believe the opportunity we have to potentially prevent patients, especially children, from developing the disabilities that would otherwise result from their inherited genetic code to perhaps give them the possibility of a full and healthy life is humbling. That is our purpose; it drives all of us at AVROBIO every day.

Preclinical updates include:

End-to-end plato platform ready to enable global commercialization

AVROBIO also presented data on its industry-leading plato platform highlighting advances in chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) to prepare for planned upcoming trials and potential global commercialization.

The optimized processes embedded in plato are designed to enable robust product characterization and efficient production of potent, consistent drug product on two continents, with a third site slated to become operational in Europe in 2021. New advances include:

R&D Day webcast information

A live webcast of Virtual R&D Day and accompanying slides will be available under Events and Presentations in the Investors section of the companys website at http://www.avrobio.com. An archived webcast recording of the event will be available on the website for approximately 30 days.

About AVROBIO

Our vision is to bring personalized gene therapy to the world. We aim to prevent, halt or reverse disease throughout the body with a single dose of gene therapy designed to drive durable expression of functional protein, even in hard-to-reach tissues and organs including the brain, muscle and bone. Our ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy pipeline includes clinical programs in Fabry disease, Gaucher disease type 1 and cystinosis, as well as preclinical programs in Hunter syndrome, Gaucher disease type 3 and Pompe disease. AVROBIO is powered by its industry leading plato gene therapy platform, our foundation designed to deliver gene therapy worldwide. We are headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with an office in Toronto, Ontario. For additional information, visit avrobio.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words and phrases such as aims, anticipates, believes, could, designed to, estimates, expects, forecasts, goal, intends, may, plans, possible, potential, seeks, will, and variations of these words and phrases or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding our business strategy for and the potential therapeutic benefits of our prospective product candidates, results of preclinical studies, the design, commencement, enrollment and timing of ongoing or planned clinical trials, clinical trial results, product approvals and regulatory pathways, anticipated benefits of our gene therapy platform including potential impact on our commercialization activities, timing and likelihood of success, and the expected benefits and results of our implementation of the plato platform in our clinical trials and gene therapy programs, including the use of a personalized and ultra-precision busulfan conditioning regimen. Any such statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Results in preclinical or early-stage clinical trials may not be indicative of results from later stage or larger scale clinical trials and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements, or the scientific data presented.

Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on AVROBIOs current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry as well as managements current beliefs and expectations of future events only as of today and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that any one or more of AVROBIOs product candidates will not be successfully developed or commercialized, the risk of cessation or delay of any ongoing or planned clinical trials of AVROBIO or our collaborators, the risk that AVROBIO may not successfully recruit or enroll a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials, the risk that AVROBIO may not realize the intended benefits of our gene therapy platform, including the features of our plato platform, the risk that our product candidates or procedures in connection with the administration thereof will not have the safety or efficacy profile that we anticipate, the risk that prior results, such as signals of safety, activity or durability of effect, observed from preclinical or clinical trials, will not be replicated or will not continue in ongoing or future studies or trials involving AVROBIOs product candidates, the risk that we will be unable to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for our product candidates, the risk that the size and growth potential of the market for our product candidates will not materialize as expected, risks associated with our dependence on third-party suppliers and manufacturers, risks regarding the accuracy of our estimates of expenses and future revenue, risks relating to our capital requirements and needs for additional financing, risks relating to clinical trial and business interruptions resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak or similar public health crises, including that such interruptions may materially delay our enrollment and development timelines and/or increase our development costs or that data collection efforts may be impaired or otherwise impacted by such crises, and risks relating to our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidates. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause AVROBIOs actual results to differ materially and adversely from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled Risk Factors in AVROBIOs most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors in AVROBIOs subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AVROBIO explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except to the extent required by law.

1 Collaborator-sponsored Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AVR-RD-04 is funded in part by grants to UCSD from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), Cystinosis Research Foundation (CRF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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AVROBIO Announces New Positive Clinical Data and Preclinical Data, as Well as Expanded Leading Lysosomal Disorder Gene Therapy Pipeline - Business...

People with blood cancers and rare genetic diseases in NSW may benefit from a $50 million funding boost for innovative cell and gene therapies.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the funding allocated in Tuesday's budget would provide better access to cutting-edge and lifesaving treatments, including CAR T-cell therapy.

"This funding offers real hope to the families of children suffering from rare and often fatal diseases by opening the door to new, innovative therapies," Mr Perrottet said.

"This is an exciting time in medicine. There is a wave of cell and gene therapies now available for rare, previously untreatable, often fatal conditions."

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said NSW had played a leading role in global research in the development of novel cell and gene therapies to treat rare, fatal conditions.

"This investment will help ensure NSW children with these rare and life-threatening conditions are given every chance possible at a longer, happier and healthier life."

The funding will give more access to CAR T-cell therapy which modifies a person's own immune cells to attack cancer, offering hope for remission and long-term survival for children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and adults with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

It will also provide potentially sight-saving gene therapy for children with the genetic blinding eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa.

Also available would be monoclonal antibody therapy for neuroblastoma, which vastly improves the outcomes for children with that type of cancer.

The funding would also provide gene-based therapies for spinal muscular atrophy, a fatal condition with few treatment options until recently.

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NSW boost for new cell and gene therapies - Yahoo News Australia

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Passage Bio Inc. (Nasdaq: PASG), a genetic medicines company focused on developing transformative therapies for rare, monogenic central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today commends the newly published research of the University of Pennsylvanias (Penn) Gene Therapy Program (GTP) regarding a novel targeted approach to prevent a selective neurotoxicity seen in the sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after gene therapy treatment. As previously published, this DRG toxicity has been observed after both systemic and central nervous system (CNS) delivery of gene therapy and across a variety of vectors in pre-clinical models, but clinical manifestations have not been observed.1

As part of its unique collaboration agreement with Penn, Passage Bio has certain rights to this novel DRG technology for the indications the company progresses with Penn.

Although our safety studies for our programs have not shown any clinical manifestations of DRG toxicity, we are excited about the promising approach developed by Penns GTP, said Bruce Goldsmith, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Passage Bio. As part of our mission to develop transformative therapies for patients, we remain committed to advancing the field of gene therapy. If in the future this new approach shows clinical benefit for patients, we will be in a strong position to incorporate it into our programs. Our relationship with Penns GTP is an important distinguishing characteristic of Passage Bio. Through our collaboration, we have ready access to world-class expertise and groundbreaking research that we can rapidly apply, if appropriate, to our therapeutic programs.

GTPs research on preventing DRG toxicity published online this week in Science Translational Medicine. According to the researchers, DRG toxicity is the result of over expression of an introduced gene, known as a transgene, in cells in the DRG, a cluster of neural cells on the outside of the spinal cord responsible for transmission of sensory messages. To correct this over expression, the GTP research team modified a transgene with a microRNA target designed to reduce the level of the transgene expression in DRG neurons as well as toxicity in DRG neurons, without affecting transduction elsewhere in the brain. That alteration eliminated more than 80 percent of the transgene expression in DRG neurons and reduced the related DRG toxicity in preclinical studies with primates.

James M. Wilson, M.D., Ph.D., director of Penns GTP and a chief scientific advisor at Passage Bio, served as a senior author of the published manuscript. Juliette Hordeaux, DVM, Ph.D., senior director of Translational Research in Penns GTP is first author. They reported that their microRNA target approach may be a straightforward way to potentially make AAV therapy for the central nervous system more safe.

As previously reported, results from preclinical toxicology studies for Passage Bios lead therapeutic programs, PBGM01 (GM1 gangliosidosis), PBKR03 (Krabbe disease), PBFT02 (FTD-GRN), were consistent with this overall AAV platform observation, and showed no clinical manifestations in detailed neurological examinations or daily observations. To proactively determine whether there is appearance of clinical signs of DRG toxicity in our clinical programs, Passage Bio will implement monitoring of patients, consisting of both nerve-conduction studies and neurological exams focused on sensory and peripheral nerve functions.

Passage Bio is advancing six programs, which include the lead programs for GM1 gangliosidosis (GM1), Krabbe disease, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), as well as three additional programs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Type 2a (CMT2a). The company anticipates that the initial three clinical candidates will be in clinical trials in 2021. Through its collaboration agreement with Penn, Passage Bio has the option to license a total of 17 programs focused on rare, monogenic disorders of the CNS.

About Passage Bio

At Passage Bio (Nasdaq: PASG), we are on a mission to provide life-transforming gene therapies for patients with rare, monogenic CNS diseases that replace their suffering with boundless possibility, all while building lasting relationships with the communities we serve. Based in Philadelphia, PA, our company has established a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with the renowned University of Pennsylvanias Gene Therapy Program to conduct our discovery and IND-enabling preclinical work. This provides our team with unparalleled access to a broad portfolio of gene therapy candidates and future gene therapy innovations that we then pair with our deep clinical, regulatory, manufacturing and commercial expertise to rapidly advance our robust pipeline of optimized gene therapies into clinical testing. As we work with speed and tenacity, we are always mindful of patients who may be able to benefit from our therapies. More information is available at http://www.passagebio.com.

Penn Financial Disclosure

Dr. Wilson is a Penn faculty member and also a scientific collaborator, consultant and co-founder of Passage Bio. As such, he holds an equity stake in the Company, receives sponsored research funding from Passage Bio, and as an inventor of certain Penn intellectual property that is licensed to Passage Bio, he may receive additional financial benefits under the license in the future. The University of Pennsylvania also holds equity and licensing interests in Passage Bio.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of, and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to: our expectations about timing and execution of anticipated milestones, including our planned IND submissions, initiation of clinical trials and the availability of clinical data from such trials; our expectations about our collaborators and partners ability to execute key initiatives; our expectations about manufacturing plans and strategies; our expectations about cash runway; and the ability of our lead product candidates to treat the underlying causes of their respective target monogenic CNS disorders. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as aim, anticipate, believe, could, estimate, expect, forecast, goal, intend, may, might, plan, potential, possible, will, would, and other words and terms of similar meaning. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including: our ability to develop and obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates; the timing and results of preclinical studies and clinical trials; risks associated with clinical trials, including our ability to adequately manage clinical activities, unexpected concerns that may arise from additional data or analysis obtained during clinical trials, regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may fail to approve or may delay approval of our drug candidates; the occurrence of adverse safety events; the risk that positive results in a preclinical study or clinical trial may not be replicated in subsequent trials or success in early stage clinical trials may not be predictive of results in later stage clinical trials; failure to protect and enforce our intellectual property, and other proprietary rights; our dependence on collaborators and other third parties for the development and manufacture of product candidates and other aspects of our business, which are outside of our full control; risks associated with current and potential delays, work stoppages, or supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic; and the other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Risk Factors section in documents the company files from time to time with theSecurities and Exchange Commission(SEC), and other reports as filed with theSEC. Passage Bio undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

For further information, please contact:

Investors:Sarah McCabe and Zofia MitaStern Investor Relations, Inc.212-362-1200sarah.mccabe@sternir.comZofia.mita@sternir.com

Media:Gwen FisherPassage Bio215-407-1548gfisher@passagebio.com

1 Juliette Hordeaux, Elizabeth L. Buza, et al. Adeno-Associated Virus-Induced Dorsal Root Ganglion Pathology, Human Gene Therapy, published online June 25, 2020.

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Passage Bio Highlights University of Pennsylvania's Gene Therapy Program's Newly Published Research to Prevent Toxicity Associated with Gene Therapy -...

DetailsCategory: DNA RNA and CellsPublished on Monday, 09 November 2020 18:03Hits: 291

NEW YORK, NY, USA I November 09, 2020 I Axovant Gene Therapies Ltd. (NASDAQ: AXGT), a clinical-stage company developing innovative gene therapies, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted its clinical hold and cleared the Investigational New Drug (IND) Application to initiate a registrational study of AXO-AAV-GM2 gene therapy to treat patients with Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease. AXO-AAV-GM2 is the first investigational gene therapy to achieve IND clearance for Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases. The Company received a letter from the FDA indicating that it has satisfactorily addressed all issues related to the clinical hold.

The IND clearance of AXO-AAV-GM2, the first potentially curative treatment for Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases to enter the clinic, marks a seminal moment for the entire GM2 gangliosidosis community. Along with AXO-AAV-GM1 for GM1 gangliosidosis, todays announcement represents the second IND clearance for Axovants gene therapy pipeline in the last 12 months, said Gavin Corcoran, M.D., Chief R&D Officer of Axovant. AXO-AAV-GM1 and AXO-AAV-GM2 are the first gene therapies to enter active clinical development in their indications. Each program captures the essence of our mission to liberate patients from debilitating neurological diseases by rapidly advancing these gene therapy programs into clinical development. We look forward to working with our study investigators, academic partners, the patient community, and families to begin enrollment in the study promptly.

Sue Kahn, Executive Director of the National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association (NTSAD), added, This is a big step toward a potential therapy for the GM2 community. It has been a long journey since NTSAD started supporting this promising gene therapy research in 2006. We are thrilled that it is now entering the clinic, bringing tremendous hope to families and the entire NTSAD community.

Axovant aims to advance the program through strategic partnerships with leading research organizations. The Company recently announced a partnership with Viralgen, an AskBio subsidiary, to support AAV-based vector manufacturing of clinical trial material for the registrational study. Additionally, through an existing genetic testing collaboration with Invitae, ongoing partnership with GM2 gangliosidosis patient groups, and collaboration with leading academic researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Axovant expects to begin patient identification and site startup activities in preparation for dosing children in the planned clinical study.

AXO-AAV-GM2 is an investigational gene therapy for Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases, which are rare, monogenic neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders caused by mutations in the genes that encode -Hexosaminidase A, HEXA and HEXB. Children affected by Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases suffer from a progressively debilitating disease course and reduced life expectancy. AXO-AAV-GM2 delivers two vectors encoding the HEXA and HEXB genes directly to the central nervous system to produce a fully functional -Hexosaminidase A enzyme. In 2019, clinical evidence from two patients under an investigator-initiated study found that treatment with AXO-AAV-GM2 was generally well-tolerated and associated with improved bioactivity outcomes. In addition, the data demonstrated the attainment of normal neurodevelopmental milestones and improvement in myelination. AXO-AAV-GM2 has been granted Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation by the FDA.

The study will enroll both infantile and juvenile subjects with GM2 gangliosidosis in the U.S. The two-part trial, sponsored by Axovant, will consist of (1) a dose ranging cohort evaluating the safe and efficacious dose of the gene therapy, followed by (2) an efficacy cohort, both of which form the basis of the registrational program. Terence R. Flotte, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Dean at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, will serve as principal investigator on the clinical trial.

About AXO-AAV-GM2

AXO-AAV-GM2 is an investigational gene therapy for GM2 gangliosidosis (also known as Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases), a set of rare and fatal pediatric neurodegenerative genetic disorders caused by defects in theHEXA(leading to Tay-Sachs disease) orHEXB(leading to Sandhoff disease) genes that encode the two subunits of the -hexosaminidase A (HexA) enzyme. These genetic defects lead to progressive neurodegeneration and shortened life expectancy. AXO-AAV-GM2 aims to restore HexA function by introducing a functional copy of theHEXAandHEXBgenes via delivery of two co-administered AAVrh8 vectors.

About Axovant Gene Therapies

Axovant Gene Therapies is a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing a pipeline of innovative product candidates for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. Our current pipeline of gene therapy candidates target GM1 gangliosidosis, GM2 gangliosidosis (also known as Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease), and Parkinsons disease. Axovant is focused on accelerating product candidates into and through clinical trials with a team of experts in gene therapy development and through external partnerships with leading gene therapy organizations. For more information, visit http://www.axovant.com.

In 2018, Axovant licensed exclusive worldwide rights from the University of Massachusetts Medical School for the development and commercialization of gene therapy programs for GM1 gangliosidosis and GM2 gangliosidosis, including Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases.

SOURCE: Axovant Gene Therapies

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Axovant Gene Therapies Announces FDA Clearance of IND for AXO-AAV-GM2 Gene Therapy in Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff Diseases | DNA RNA and Cells | News...

PhoreMost Limited, the UK-based biopharmaceutical company and Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE:OXB) (Oxford Biomedica), a gene and cell therapy group, today announced that they have entered into a discovery collaboration to develop next-generation CAR-T cell therapies. Financial details of the agreement are not disclosed.

PhoreMost will deploy its in-house expertise and next-generation phenotypic screening platform, SITESEEKER, to identify therapeutic candidates for Oxford Biomedicas LentiVector gene therapy delivery system. The program will initially focus on CAR-T therapy and aims to develop next-generation cell therapies with significantly improved efficacy and durability.

Dr Chris Torrance, CEO, PhoreMost, said: This collaboration with Oxford Biomedica, a global pioneer in cell and gene therapies, is further recognition of the power of SITESEEKER, offering an exciting opportunity to discover and accelerate the development of clinical stage products. The natural complementarity between SITESEEKER and LentiVector offers great promise for this and future collaborations between the two companies.

John Dawson, CEO of Oxford Biomedica, said: We are excited to apply this next-generation technology to our LentiVector platform. The collaboration has the potential to deliver more effective CAR-T therapies, and we look forward to working closely with the PhoreMost team.

SITESEEKER exploits protein shape diversity to find functionally active peptides linked to any chosen disease setting, significantly enhancing the power of phenotypic screening and translation into therapeutic modalities. Based on proprietary protein interference, or PROTEINi, technology, SITESEEKER is able to systematically probe the entire proteome in a live cell environment to identify and exploit novel drug targets.

Oxford Biomedica is a world-leading pioneer of cell and gene therapies. Its LentiVector platform enables the successful development of breakthrough gene and cell-based medicines, and through collaborations with pharmaceutical partners, has delivered the first FDA and EMA approved CAR-T cell therapy.

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PhoreMost and Oxford Biomedica Enter Gene Therapy Discovery Collaboration - Technology Networks

BOSTON and LONDON, Nov. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchard Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ORTX), a global gene therapy leader, today announced that the company is scheduled to present at the Barclays Gene Editing & Gene Therapy Summit on November 16, 2020 at 11:15 AM ET.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available under "News & Events" in the Investors & Media section of the company's website at http://www.orchard-tx.com. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Orchard website following the presentation.

About Orchard

Orchard Therapeutics is a global gene therapy leader dedicated to transforming the lives of people affected by rare diseases through the development of innovative, potentially curative gene therapies. Our ex vivo autologous gene therapy approach harnesses the power of genetically modified blood stem cells and seeks to correct the underlying cause of disease in a single administration. In 2018, Orchard acquired GSKs rare disease gene therapy portfolio, which originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy. Orchard now has one of the deepest and most advanced gene therapy product candidate pipelines in the industry spanning multiple therapeutic areas where the disease burden on children, families and caregivers is immense and current treatment options are limited or do not exist.

Orchard has its global headquarters in London and U.S. headquarters in Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.orchard-tx.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Availability of Other Information About Orchard

Investors and others should note that Orchard communicates with its investors and the public using the company website (www.orchard-tx.com), the investor relations website (ir.orchard-tx.com), and on social media (Twitter and LinkedIn), including but not limited to investor presentations and investor fact sheets, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The information that Orchard posts on these channels and websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, Orchard encourages investors, the media, and others interested in Orchard to review the information that is posted on these channels, including the investor relations website, on a regular basis. This list of channels may be updated from time to time on Orchards investor relations website and may include additional social media channels. The contents of Orchards website or these channels, or any other website that may be accessed from its website or these channels, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.

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Contacts

Investors

Renee LeckDirector, Investor Relations+1 862-242-0764Renee.Leck@orchard-tx.com

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Orchard Therapeutics to Present at Barclays Gene Editing & Gene Therapy Summit - Yahoo Finance