As a result, Wilson's historic and
groundbreaking career at the University of
Pennsylvania will transition as he spearheads new
entities
PHILADELPHIA, July 31,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, James Wilson, MD, PhD, director of the Gene
Therapy Program ("GTP"), Rose H. Weiss Professor and Director of
the Orphan Disease Center, and professor in the Departments of
Medicine and Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the
University of Pennsylvania
("Penn"), announced that he will be
founding two new companies formed in part from a transition of Penn
GTP functions to the new companies.
"Forming these two new entities is the next
step to accelerate the future of gene therapy"
This transition is driven by the desire to ensure that the many
groundbreaking discoveries made at GTP over 30 years are translated
into effective treatments that will be accessible to all patients
globally. As a result of this transition, Dr. Wilson will be
stepping down as Director of the Gene Therapy Program, to dedicate
his full attention to these new and promising entities.
GEMMA Biotherapeutics ("GEMMABio"), a new therapeutics
company, will serve as the research and innovation arm to speed the
research of and global access to life-changing advanced therapies
for those living with rare diseases. Franklin Biolabs, a new
genetic medicines contract research organization (CRO), will be the
services and production arm, providing comprehensive solutions from
discovery to development and distribution for the global genetic
medicines industry. While operated independently, GEMMABio and
Franklin Biolabs will both conduct their global work from the
greater Philadelphia area with an
international network extending to the UK, Brazil, South
Korea and more. Funding for GEMMABio is coming from a
syndicate of several investors and investment groups, while funding
for Franklin Biolabs is coming from one investor.
"Forming these two new entities is the next step to accelerate
the future of gene therapy and deliver therapeutics to patients
significantly faster," said Dr. Wilson, who will serve as CEO of
GEMMABio and Chairman of Franklin Biolabs. "I have deep
appreciation for my colleagues at GTP whose critical contributions
to advancing the science have gotten us to this exciting day, and
will continue to be essential as we embark on the next chapter for
gene therapy."
Dr. Wilson added: "I am also extremely grateful to the
University of Pennsylvania for its
unwavering support throughout my career, and particularly in this
latest endeavor which will assure that those most in need around
the world will be able to access transformative genetic
medicines."
Having started his work in gene therapy nearly 40 years ago, Dr.
Wilson was recruited to Penn in 1993
and created the first and largest academic-based program in gene
therapy. His laboratory discovered a family of viruses from
primates called adeno-associated viruses (AAV) that could be
engineered to be very effective gene transfer vehicles. These
"vectors" have become the technology platform of choice and have
set the stage for the recent resurgence of the field of gene
therapy.
Dr. Wilson has also been active in facilitating the clinical and
commercial development of these new gene therapy platforms through
the establishment of eight biotechnology companies. His research
has been focused on rare inherited diseases, ranging from cystic
fibrosis to dyslipidemias to a variety of neurologic disorders and
liver metabolic diseases, and on addressing these unmet needs for
patients in marginalized populations. To date, his team's
accomplishments include 3 FDA-approved AAV-based gene therapies,
40+ active programs in development, 95 patents on gene
therapy-related technologies, and first-in-patient studies in 15
different diseases.
"Patients with rare and orphan diseases – and their families,
who are often desperate for help – have always been Jim's priority
and motivation, and the Orphan Disease Center has grown to be a
world-class organization under his leadership," said George Weiss, Founding Donor of the Orphan
Disease Center of the University of
Pennsylvania. "I have been proud to support the
life-changing work that Dr. Wilson and his team of experts have
conducted at Penn. It is incredibly
impressive that he worked collaboratively with many parties to find
a creative, patient-focused solution to amplify the impact and
reach of the Gene Therapy Program going forward."
The majority of the GTP's current employees will be offered
positions at one of the two companies, and the companies plan to
hire additional roles in the next 18+ months.
Contact:
Kristen
Love
klove@briancom.com
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content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/to-further-advance-gene-therapy-research-industry-pioneer-jim-wilson-is-forming-two-independent-companies-dedicated-to-genetic-medicine-302211669.html
SOURCE GEMMA Biotherapeutics and Franklin Biolabs