Release Details
Voyager Advances Collaboration with Neurocrine; Third Gene Therapy Development Candidate Selected
Selection of the development candidate triggered a
“This is the third development candidate nominated under Voyager’s collaborations with Neurocrine, following nominations for Friedreich’s ataxia and for GBA1 Parkinson’s disease and other GBA1-mediated diseases,” said
This program is being developed under the 2023 strategic collaboration agreement between Voyager and Neurocrine Biosciences for research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of certain AAV gene therapy products for programs targeting Parkinson’s disease and other GBA1-mediated diseases and three other undisclosed programs. Under the terms of the 2023 collaboration agreement, for each of the three undisclosed programs, Voyager is eligible to receive up to
About the TRACER™ Capsid Discovery Platform
Voyager’s TRACER™ (Tropism Redirection of AAV by Cell-type-specific Expression of RNA) capsid discovery platform is a broadly applicable, RNA-based screening platform that enables rapid discovery of novel AAV capsids to enable gene therapy. Voyager has leveraged TRACER to create multiple families of novel capsids that, following intravenous delivery in preclinical studies, harness the extensive vasculature of the central nervous system (CNS) to cross the blood-brain barrier and transduce a broad range of CNS regions and cell types. In cross-species preclinical studies (rodents and multiple non-human primate species), intravenous delivery of TRACER-generated capsids resulted in widespread payload expression across the CNS at relatively low doses, enabling selection of multiple development candidates in Voyager’s wholly-owned and partnered gene therapy programs for neurologic diseases.
About
Voyager Therapeutics® is a registered trademark, and TRACER™ is a trademark, of
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 “expect,” “enable,” “future,” or “potential,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
For example, all statements Voyager makes regarding the potential to advance Voyager’s SOD1 ALS gene therapy program towards an IND filing in mid-2025, and Voyager’s ability to receive development and commercial milestone payments, tiered royalties on net sales, and program funding under the 2023 Neurocrine collaboration agreement are forward looking.
All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by Voyager’s management that, although Voyager believes such forward-looking statements 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 Voyager expected. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the expectations and decisions of regulatory authorities; the timing, initiation, conduct and outcomes of Voyager’s preclinical and clinical studies; the availability of data from clinical trials; the availability or commercial potential of product candidates under collaborations; the willingness and ability of Voyager's collaboration partners to meet obligations under collaboration agreements with Voyager; the continued development of Voyager’s technology platforms, including Voyager’s TRACER platform and its antibody screening technology; Voyager’s scientific approach and program development progress, and the restricted supply of critical research components; the development by third parties of capsid identification platforms that may be competitive to Voyager’s TRACER capsid discovery platform; Voyager’s ability to create and protect intellectual property rights associated with the TRACER capsid discovery platform, the capsids identified by the platform, and development candidates for Voyager’s pipeline programs; the possibility or the timing of Voyager’s receipt of program reimbursement, development or commercialization milestones, option exercise, and other payments under Voyager’s existing licensing or collaboration agreements; the ability of Voyager to negotiate and complete licensing or collaboration agreements with other parties on terms acceptable to Voyager and the third parties; the success of programs controlled by third party collaboration partners in which Voyager retains a financial interest, and the success of Voyager’s product candidates; the ability to attract and retain talented directors, employees, and contractors; and the sufficiency of cash resources to fund its operations and pursue its corporate objectives.
These statements are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties that are described in Voyager’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Contacts
Investors:
Media:
Source: Voyager Therapeutics, Inc.