Release Details
Voyager Therapeutics Raises $60 Million in Oversubscribed Series B Financing
Gene Therapy Leader to Advance Broad Product Pipeline & AAV Product Engine
Cambridge, Mass., April 13, 2015 – Voyager Therapeutics, a gene therapy company developing life-changing treatments for fatal and debilitating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), today announced the successful completion of a $60 million Series B financing. New investors Brookside Capital and Partner Fund Management co-led the round, with new participation from Wellington Management Company, LLP, Casdin Capital, LLC and two undisclosed blue chip investment funds. Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance the company’s product pipeline, which includes five clinical and preclinical programs, as well as its industry-leading adeno-associated virus (AAV) product engine.
“Our mission at Voyager is to become the leading AAV gene therapy company in the world and advance the field by developing breakthrough therapies for patients,” said Steven Paul, M.D., president & chief executive officer of Voyager. “We established a solid foundation through our launch funding and the continued support from Third Rock. This new investment from such a high-quality investor group is reflective of our progress to date in building an outstanding team, best-in-class pipeline and product engine.”
“There is a dire need for new therapies to treat central nervous system disorders like Parkinson’s disease and ALS, and the application of gene therapy to the treatment of these conditions is very promising,” said Daniel Krizek, a director at Brookside Capital, which has a history of private investments in gene therapy companies. “Voyager, with its strong management team and a product engine that can generate novel therapies for numerous CNS diseases and other disorders, is poised to become a key player in the gene therapy space.”
About Voyager Therapeutics
Voyager Therapeutics is a gene therapy company developing life-changing treatments for fatal and debilitating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Voyager is committed to advancing the field of AAV (adeno-associated virus) gene therapy through innovation and investment in vector optimization and engineering, dosing and delivery techniques, as well as process development and production. The company’s pipeline is focused on CNS diseases in dire need of effective new therapies, including Parkinson’s disease, a monogenic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Friedreich’s ataxia and Huntington’s disease. Voyager has broad strategic collaborations with Genzyme, a Sanofi company, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). Founded by scientific and clinical leaders in the fields of AAV gene therapy, expressed RNA interference and neuroscience, Voyager Therapeutics was launched in 2014 with funding from leading life sciences investor Third Rock Ventures and is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, please visit www.voyagertherapeutics.com. Follow Voyager on LinkedIn.
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Voyager Media Contact:
Katie Engleman
Pure Communications, Inc.
910-509-3977