NEW YORK – Belief BioMed on Wednesday announced a collaboration with Bayer's Asklepios BioPharmaceutical through which the companies will develop liver-targeted gene therapies for diseases with high unmet medical need.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Shanghai-based Belief BioMed, which has a pipeline that includes gene therapies for conditions like hemophilia A and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, said the collaboration will strengthen its place in the gene therapy space. The company has developed novel adeno-associated virus capsids to deliver gene therapies to different tissues.
AskBio, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, has developed hundreds of proprietary capsids and promoters and has a pipeline of investigational gene therapies in cardiovascular, central nervous system, neuromuscular, and metabolic diseases, including candidates being tested as treatments for heart failure and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
"Collaborating with innovative, like-minded partners with complementary gene therapy expertise enables us to find the best way forward for our pipeline assets and bolster our efforts to advance new therapies for conditions with significant unmet need," AskBio CEO Gustavo Pesquin said in a statement.
"Our strategic partnership with AskBio is based on our shared vision, mutual trust, and complementary resources and strength," Belief BioMed Cofounder and CSO Xiao Xiao, who was also a cofounder of AskBio, said in a statement. "With our joint effort we will be able to bring more innovative treatments in a timely manner to patients around the globe."