NEW YORK – Sangamo Therapeutics and Roche's Genentech this week entered into a license agreement aimed at developing genomic medicines for certain neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease.
Under the terms of the deal, Genentech is expected to pay Richmond, California-based Sangamo $50 million in near-term upfront license fees and milestone payments. Sangamo also will be eligible to earn up to $1.9 billion in development and commercial milestone payments across multiple potential medicines and tiered royalties on net sales.
Sangamo has exclusively licensed zinc finger repressors directed to the tau gene, which is involved in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative conditions, to Genentech, as well as a second, undisclosed neurology target and its neurotropic adeno-associated virus capsid, STAC-BBB, which is designed to penetrate the blood-brain barrier.
Sangamo and Genentech will use these components to develop intravenously administered genomic medicines. Sangamo will be responsible for transferring technology and conducting certain preclinical activities for the drug candidates, and Genentech will be responsible for clinical development, regulatory interactions, manufacturing, and potential commercialization globally.
"We strongly believe in the power of our zinc finger technology to regulate the expression of key genes involved in disease," Sangamo CEO Sandy Macrae said in a statement. "We are excited to share this powerful combination with Genentech to advance potential treatment options for devastating neurodegenerative disorders, and we are hopeful this could be the first of multiple capsid collaborations to come with other partners."