Astellas and Sangamo Therapeutics Partner to Enhance Neurological Gene Therapy with STAC-BBB Capsid

Partnership Agreement:
Astellas Pharma Inc. and Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. have entered into a license agreement that allows Astellas to use Sangamo's proprietary neurotropic adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid, STAC-BBB, for up to five potential neurological disease targets14.

Financial Terms:
Sangamo will receive a $20 million upfront license fee and is eligible to earn up to $1.3 billion in additional licensed target fees and milestone payments across all five potential disease targets, as well as tiered mid-to-high single digit royalties on potential net sales14.

STAC-BBB Capsid:
The STAC-BBB capsid has demonstrated potent blood-brain barrier penetration and neuronal transduction in nonhuman primates, making it a promising tool for delivering genomic medicines to treat neurological diseases13.

Responsibilities:
Sangamo is responsible for completing a technology transfer related to the STAC-BBB capsid, while Astellas will handle all research, preclinical and clinical development, regulatory interactions, manufacturing, and global commercialization of the resulting gene therapy products1.

Strategic Impact:
This collaboration aims to overcome the challenges associated with delivering therapies to the central nervous system, marking a significant step towards developing effective treatments for neurological diseases with significant unmet medical needs15.

Sources:

1. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/astellas-and-sangamo-therapeutics-announce-capsid-license-agreement-to-deliver-genomic-medicines-for-neurological-diseases-302335494.html

3. https://www.packgene.com/frontier/241220/

4. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/astellas-in-deal-with-sangamo-for-stac-bbb-capsid-to-deliver-genomic-medicines-1034154452

5. https://www.ainvest.com/news/astellas-and-sangamo-therapeutics-unlocking-brain-s-potential-24121010a83e8e99e7344450