NEW YORK – MeiraGTx on Thursday said it is forming a joint venture with artificial-intelligence company Hologen, dubbed Hologen Neuro AI, which the companies describe as the first "neuro-AI clinical drug development company."
Under the terms of the deal, Hologen will pay MeiraGTx $200 million upfront and commit up to $230 million to fund Hologen Neuro AI and fully finance development of the gene therapy AAV-GAD in Parkinson's disease. MeiraGTx is preparing to test AAV-GAD in a Phase III trial, and if successful, commercialize it. Hologen has committed to funding these efforts as well as early-stage clinical programs for gene therapies in other central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
The companies expect to close this transaction in the second quarter of 2025.
New York-based MeiraGTx will retain 30 percent ownership in Hologen Neuro AI and will lead clinical development and manufacturing as the joint venture seeks to discover and develop therapies for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.
In addition to capital, Hologen will provide access to its multimodal generative artificial intelligence foundation models. The companies will use Hologen's AI to analyze clinical data and characterize disease modifications in the CNS that could help advance new therapies.
"The use of Hologen's AI to elucidate brain circuitry in this complex heterogeneous disease [Parkinson's] has already significantly de-risked the AAV-GAD Phase III program when applied to MeiraGTx's Phase II clinical datasets and has identified disease modifying changes in the physiology of the brain in response to AAV-GAD treatment," MeiraGTx President and CEO Alexandria Forbes said in a statement.
Within the deal, London-based Hologen will also fund a portion of MeiraGTx's manufacturing operations and receive a minority stake in the company's manufacturing subsidiary. The companies hope to improve MeiraGTx's manufacturing capabilities by using Hologen's AI models.
Once the joint venture is established, MeiraGTx will enter into clinical and commercial manufacturing supply agreements with Hologen Neuro AI to manufacture AAV-GAD and other locally delivered CNS gene therapies, the companies said.