- Agreement grants Astellas rights to employ
Sangamo’s novel proprietary capsid, STAC-BBB, for up to five
potential neurological disease targets
- Sangamo to 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 royalties on
potential net sales
Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO), a genomic medicine
company and Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO:
Naoki Okamura, “Astellas”), today announced they have entered into
a license agreement allowing Astellas to leverage Sangamo’s novel
proprietary neurotropic adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid,
STAC-BBB, which has demonstrated potent blood-brain barrier
penetration and neuronal transduction in nonhuman primates. The
agreement grants Astellas a worldwide exclusive license to utilize
the STAC-BBB capsid for one target, with the right to add up to
four additional targets after paying additional licensed target
fees to deliver their intravenously administered genomic medicines
to treat certain neurological diseases.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241218204650/en/
Sandy Macrae, Chief Executive Officer, Sangamo “We
strongly believe in the potential of STAC-BBB, our
industry-leading, intravenously delivered AAV capsid, to overcome
the challenges associated with delivering therapies to the central
nervous system. This agreement underscores the continued industry
interest in our STAC-BBB capsid and reinforces our ongoing
commitment to partnering with collaborators who understand its
unique potential. We are delighted to license STAC-BBB to Astellas
to advance potential treatments for neurological diseases with
significant unmet medical needs.”
Adam Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer, Astellas
“Delivering treatments to the brain and central nervous system
remains a highly complex challenge in the field of gene therapy. We
believe that technologies such as Sangamo’s STAC-BBB capsid could
prove critical in helping us deliver effective transformational
treatments to patients suffering from serious genetic neurological
conditions. We continue to build a world-class gene therapy
pipeline and end-to-end discovery, development, manufacturing, and
commercial capabilities. This agreement is another example of our
commitment to delivering meaningful therapies for patients with
genetic diseases.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Sangamo is responsible for
completing a technology transfer related to the STAC-BBB capsid.
Astellas is responsible for all research, preclinical and clinical
development, regulatory interactions, manufacturing, and global
commercialization of the resulting gene therapy products. Sangamo
will receive a $20 million upfront license fee from Astellas and is
eligible to earn up to $1.3 billion in additional licensed target
fees and milestone payments across the five potential neurology
disease targets, as well as tiered mid-to-high single digit
royalties on potential net sales of such products, subject to
certain specified reductions.
About Sangamo Therapeutics
Sangamo Therapeutics is a genomic medicine company dedicated to
translating ground-breaking science into medicines that transform
the lives of patients and families afflicted with serious
neurological diseases who do not have adequate or any treatment
options. Sangamo believes that its zinc finger epigenetic
regulators are ideally suited to potentially address devastating
neurological disorders and that its capsid discovery platform can
expand delivery beyond currently available intrathecal delivery
capsids, including in the central nervous system. Sangamo’s
pipeline also includes multiple partnered programs and programs
with opportunities for partnership and investment. To learn more,
visit www.sangamo.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and
Twitter/X.
About Astellas
Astellas is a global life sciences company committed to turning
innovative science into VALUE for patients. We provide
transformative therapies in disease areas that include oncology,
ophthalmology, urology, immunology and women's health. Through our
research and development programs, we are pioneering new healthcare
solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. Learn more at
www.astellas.com.
About Astellas Gene Therapies
Astellas Gene Therapies is an Astellas Center of Excellence
developing genetic medicines with the potential to deliver
transformative value for patients. Our gene therapy drug discovery
engine is built around innovative science, a validated AAV
platform, and industry leading internal manufacturing capability
with a particular focus on rare diseases of the eye, CNS and
neuromuscular system. Astellas Gene Therapies will also be
advancing additional Astellas gene therapy programs toward clinical
investigation. Astellas Gene Therapies is based in South San
Francisco, with manufacturing and laboratory facilities in South
San Francisco, Calif., Sanford, N.C. and Tsukuba, Japan.
Sangamo Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on
Sangamo's current expectations. These forward-looking statements
include, without limitation, statements relating to the potential
for Astellas to develop genomic medicines to treat
neurodegenerative diseases by leveraging Sangamo’s capsid delivery
capabilities, the potential for intravenously administered STAC-BBB
to address challenges in delivering therapeutics to the central
nervous system, the potential of Sangamo’s capsids to deliver
therapies treating neurological diseases, the potential for
Astellas to expand its license to include additional targets and to
perform research, preclinical and clinical development,
manufacturing and global commercialization of licensed gene therapy
products for each licensed target, expectations concerning
Sangamo’s receipt of an upfront license fee, the potential for
Sangamo to receive additional licensed target fees, manufacturing,
development and commercial milestone payments, and royalties, and
other statements that are not historical fact. These statements are
not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Factors that
could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited
to, the research and development process, including the results of
preclinical studies and clinical trials; the regulatory approval
process for product candidates; the potential for technological
developments that obviate technologies used by Sangamo and its
partners; the potential for Astellas to breach or terminate its
agreement with Sangamo; and the potential for Sangamo to fail to
realize its expected benefits from the Astellas agreement;
Sangamo’s inability to secure additional collaboration partners;
and Sangamo’s need for substantial additional funding to operate as
a going concern. There can be no assurance that Sangamo will earn
any milestone or royalty payments under the Astellas agreement or
obtain regulatory approvals for product candidates arising from
this agreement. Actual results may differ from those projected in
forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties that
exist in Sangamo's and Astellas’s operations and businesses. These
risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Sangamo’s
Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, filings and reports,
including in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2023, as supplemented by its Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, each filed with the
SEC, and future filings and reports that Sangamo makes from time to
time with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this
announcement are made as of this date, and Sangamo undertakes no
duty to update such information except as required under applicable
law.
Astellas Cautionary Notes
In this press release, statements made with respect to current
plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that
are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the
future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on
management’s current assumptions and beliefs in light of the
information currently available to it and involve known and unknown
risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual
results to differ materially from those discussed in the
forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not
limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws
and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency
exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches,
(iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products
effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to
effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in
highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas’
intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about
pharmaceutical products (including products currently in
development) which is included in this press release is not
intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241218204650/en/
Sangamo Contact Investor Relations & Media Inquiries
Louise Wilkie ir@sangamo.com media@sangamo.com
Astellas Contacts Sara Zelkovic R&D Communications
+1-347-226-1459 sara.zelkovic@astellas.com
Corporate Communications +81-3-3244-3201
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