Voyager Therapeutics Receives $100M Upfront in Novartis Collaboration
Voyager Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VYGR) has entered a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Novartis Pharma AG, a subsidiary of Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) to advance potential gene therapies for Huntington’s disease (HD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Voyager will receive an upfront consideration of $100 million and is eligible to receive milestone payments and tiered royalties as part of the deal.
Under the agreement, Voyager will provide Novartis a target-exclusive license to access Voyager’s TRACER™ capsids and other intellectual property for the respective diseases, and Voyager and Novartis will collaborate to advance a preclinical gene therapy candidate for HD.
Alfred W. Sandrock, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Voyager commented on the landmark agreement, saying, “We are thrilled to expand our existing relationship with Novartis, a global leader in the gene therapy field. Combining the proven capabilities of Novartis in gene therapy development and commercialization with Voyager’s next-generation TRACER capsids and payloads could enable the advancement of important new therapies for patients. In addition, the consideration Voyager will receive from this collaboration will strengthen our balance sheet and extend our runway into mid-2026.”
Voyager will be responsible for preclinical advancement and Novartis will be responsible for all clinical development and commercialization for the HD program.
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 AAV capsids with robust penetration of the blood-brain barrier and enhanced central nervous system (CNS) tropism in multiple species, including non-human primates (NHPs).
About Voyager Therapeutics
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VYGR) is a biotechnology company dedicated to leveraging the power of human genetics to modify the course of – and ultimately cure – neurological diseases. Our pipeline includes programs for Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and multiple other diseases of the central nervous system. Many of our programs are derived from our TRACER™ AAV capsid discovery platform, which we have used to generate novel capsids and identify associated receptors to potentially enable high brain penetration with genetic medicines following intravenous dosing. Some of our programs are wholly owned, and some are advancing with partners including Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease; Novartis Pharma AG; Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.; and Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. For more information, visit www.voyagertherapeutics.com.
