Taysha Gene Therapies Announces Formation of Independent Scientific Advisory Board – Business Wire

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Taysha Gene Therapies, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSHA), a patient-centric gene therapy company focused on developing and commercializing AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of monogenic diseases of the CNS in both rare and large patient populations, today announced the formation of an independent Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) that will work closely with senior management to advance the companys clinical development and commercialization efforts.

We are excited and privileged to have the opportunity to work with this cross-functional group of esteemed scientific and clinical thought leaders on initiatives from discovery, through pre-clinical and clinical development and commercialization, said Suyash Prasad, MBBS, M.Sc., MRCP, MRCPCH, FFPM, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development of Taysha. They bring a wealth of knowledge in the development of gene therapy products and diseases of the CNS that will be invaluable as we advance our extensive pipeline of AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of monogenic diseases of the CNS. Formalizing the SAB is an important accomplishment that will help position Taysha for sustained success as we further our R&D initiatives.

The SAB brings together the expertise of esteemed independent scientists and clinicians covering Tayshas key areas of research in monogenic diseases and gene therapy products. Members of the SAB will provide scientific review and guidance to the company around its R&D and related business activities.

Members of Tayshas SAB include:

Deborah Bilder, M.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah in Educational Psychology, General Pediatrics, and Child Psychiatry. Her research interests include clinical trials, medications, and biologics that target rare genetic conditions and has authored over 45 peer-reviewed articles. She is the Principal Investigator for the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities and Co-Principal Investigator for the Utah site of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Dr. Bilder is Co-Chair of the DAC Committee in psychiatry at the University of Utah and a consultant for the Utah Regional Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program. She has been awarded the Triple Board Program Teaching Award from the University of Utah Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is a steering committee member for BioMarin Pharmaceutical Phase 3 Clinical Trial and also serves as a medical advisor for the Utah chapter of Make-a-Wish Foundation. Dr. Bilder earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University.

Alan Boyd, B.Sc., M.B., Ch.B., FRSB, FFLM, FRCP, FFPM, is the CEO and Founder of Boyd Consultants and a fellow and Immediate Past-President of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, Royal Colleges of Physicians, UK. Professor Boyd is also a Council Member and the Independent Clinician Trustee on the Board of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, UK. He is also an honorary professor at the University of Birmingham Medical School, in recognition of his expertise in medicine development. He has significant pharmaceutical industry experience and was the Head of Medical Research at AstraZeneca and the Research and Development Director at Ark Therapeutics Ltd, specializing in the development of gene therapy products. He is a graduate in biochemistry and medicine from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Wendy K. Chung, M.D., Ph.D., is a Kennedy Family Professor of Pediatrics in Medicine, Attending Physician in the Division of Molecular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, and the Director of Clinical Genetics, Clinical Cancer Genetics, and Precision Medicine Resource at the Irving Institute for Translational Research, all at Columbia University. Her research interests include spinal muscular atrophy, autism, and neurogenetics. Dr Chung has authored over 500 peer-reviewed articles and 75 textbook chapters and serves on the Editorial Board of Molecular Case Studies and The American Journal of Human Genetics. Dr Chung is the Director of Clinical Research at the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) and a member of the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Chung earned her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College and her doctorate from Rockefeller University.

David P. Dimmock, M.D., is the Senior Medical Director of Rady Childrens Institute for Genomic Medicine. Dr. Dimmock is an expert in the field of clinical genomic medicine, the Principal Investigator on multiple clinical trials of novel therapeutics in rare metabolic diseases and an author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles, publications, chapters, books and reviews. He has been an invited advisor to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the Office of Orphan Diseases and has overseen regulatory submissions for whole genome sequencing devices. At the Center for Disease Control, he was a member of the Planning and Organizing Committee of NeXT-StoC to develop guidance to ensure analytic quality of next-generation sequencing tests. In addition, he was a member of the National Genomics Board UK and CLIAC NGS Guidelines Forum. He is a Scientific Advisory Board member for BioMarin Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Dimmock is a graduate from St. Georges, University of London.

Michael W. Lawlor, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Pathology, Biomedical Engineering, Physiology, Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy and the Associate Director of the Neuroscience Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is a Board-Certified Anatomic Pathologist and Neuropathologist, and his research interests include pediatric muscle disease and gene therapy. Dr. Lawlor is an Editorial Board member of Muscle and Nerve and Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. He is currently serving as an SAB member for Solid Biosciences in support of its gene therapy programs. Dr. Lawlor earned his medical degree and doctorate from Loyola University School of Medicine and his residency, fellowship, and postdoctoral training was completed at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Childrens Hospital in association with Harvard Medical School.

Gerald S. Lipshutz, M.D., M.S., is a Professor-in-Residence in the Departments of Surgery and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Surgical Director of the Pancreas/Auto-islet Transplant Program and Chairman of the Academic Medicine College at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles. His clinical specialties and interests include liver and pancreas transplantation and gene and cell therapies for single-gene metabolic disorders of the liver. Dr. Lipshutz is a grant reviewer for the Wellcome Trust and the US National Institutes of Health where he is a standing member of the Gene and Drug Delivery (GDD) study section. He is a Principal Investigator at the UCLA Lipschutz Hepatic Regenerative Medical Laboratory and for several NIH-funded and industry-sponsored studies for gene therapies. He is author of over 70 peer-reviewed articles and is an Editorial Board member of Molecular Therapy - Methods and Clinical Development and Gene Therapy. Dr. Lipshutz earned his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

About Taysha Gene Therapies

Taysha Gene Therapies (Nasdaq: TSHA) is on a mission to eradicate monogenic CNS disease. With a singular focus on developing curative medicines, we aim to rapidly translate our treatments from bench to bedside. We have combined our teams proven experience in gene therapy drug development and commercialization with the world-class UT Southwestern Gene Therapy Program to build an extensive, AAV gene therapy pipeline focused on both rare and large-market indications. Together, we leverage our fully integrated platforman engine for potential new cureswith a goal of dramatically improving patients lives. More information is available at http://www.tayshagtx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as anticipates, believes, expects, intends, projects, and future or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning or implying the potential of our product candidates to positively impact quality of life and alter the course of disease in the patients we seek to treat, our research, development and regulatory plans for our product candidates, the potential for these product candidates to receive regulatory approval from the FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies, and whether, if approved, these product candidates will be successfully distributed and marketed. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Risks regarding our business are described in detail in our Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, which is available on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. Additional information will be made available in other filings that we make from time to time with the SEC. Such risks may be amplified by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update these statements except as may be required by law.

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Taysha Gene Therapies Announces Formation of Independent Scientific Advisory Board - Business Wire

bluebird bio’s beta-thalassaemia gene therapy rejected by NICE – PharmaTimes

bluebird bios beta-thalassaemia gene therapy betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel) has not been recommended by the UKs National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use on the NHS.

Beti-cel, marketed as Zynteglo in Europe, is a gene therapy intended for the treatment of transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia (TDT) in people aged 12 years and older who do not have a beta0/beta0 genotype.

It is indicated for TDT patients when haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is appropriate but there is no suitable donor.

TDT is the most severe form of thalassaemia, a condition wherein an inherited faulty gene leads to the inability of the body to produce normally functioning haemoglobin.

People living with TDT require life-long blood transfusions every two to five weeks.

In its draft recommendations, NICE commented that the follow-up on people included in clinical trials of beti-cel was not very long, adding that the population included was small.

NICE also determined that there were uncertainties around the cost-effectiveness of beti-cel, with the estimate for the gene therapy considerably higher than what it usually deems an acceptable use of NHS resources.

We are extremely disappointed with NICES decision not to recommend betibeglogene autotemcel as a treatment option in the UK, said Romaine Maharaj, executive director, UK Thalassaemia Society.

We also feel disheartened that our patient experts were misquoted and used out of context and feel that NICE needs to rectify this. Having an option and the access to a potentially curable treatment is vital and should be offered to patients, she added.

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bluebird bio's beta-thalassaemia gene therapy rejected by NICE - PharmaTimes

Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Industry Outlook and Forecast Report 2021-2026 with Data-driven Insights on the Impact of COVID-19 -…

The "Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

In-depth Analysis and Data-driven Insights on the Impact of COVID-19 Included in this Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Report

The Europe cell and gene therapy market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 23% during the period 2021-2026.

The global cell and gene therapy market is observing significant mergers and acquisition activities, product sales, and new market authorizations. In 2026, the market is expected to grow almost four times more than the current value, with new product approvals expected annually.

Although initial product approvals have been for relatively small patient groups, the significant pipeline of cell & gene therapy studies for diseases such as hemophilia and various forms of blindness will significantly expand. In addition, the Europe market is witnessing steady growth due to the increased availability of funds from several public and private institutes.

There is increased support from regulatory bodies for product approvals and fast-track product designations, which encourage vendors to manufacture products at a fast rate. Moreover, with over 237 regenerative medicines companies headquartered in Europe, the region is seen as the favorite destination for cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Segmentation

The Europe cell and gene therapy market research report includes a detailed segmentation by product, end-user, application, geography. A high potential to treat several chronic diseases, which cannot be effectively treated/cured through conventional methods otherwise, is propelling the growth of gene therapies. Gene therapies are regarded as a potential revolution in the health sciences and pharmaceutical fields.

The number of clinical trials investigating gene therapies is increasing in Europe, despite the limited number of products that have successfully reached the market. However, gene therapies show slow progress and promising prospect in terms of treatments. High support from regulatory bodies to commercialize these products and make them affordable to patients is another important factor contributing the market growth.

Story continues

Delivering cell and gene therapies requires specialized facilities, capabilities, and clinician skills. Therefore, manufacturers are working in tandem with chosen treatment centers (hospitals) to establish the protocols and procedures necessary to receive the product and therapies.

While cell therapies represent a paradigm shift in the treatment of several incurable, chronic diseases, with durable responses and long-term disease control measures, hospitals appear an ideal location to carry out these procedures. Hospitals are growing at a significant rate due to the increasing target population in Europe.

Tier-I hospitals are proving to be sought-after network partners for cell and gene therapy developers. They tend to be in major population centers, have adequate financial and personnel resources, and value the prestige that comes with being the first movers in an innovative treatment area.

Oncology accounted for a share of over 30% in 2020. While cancer treatments have evolved and undergone massive developments in recent years, it continues to be one of the deadliest diseases confronted by humans. Traditional cancer therapies have a curative effect in the short term; however, they have side effects, thereby decreasing the patient's quality of life. Cell and gene therapies for certain types of cancers have been promising results.

The chimeric antigen receptor- (CAR-) T cell therapy is one of the most recent innovative immunotherapies and is rapidly evolving. CAR-T cell therapies are developing rapidly, and many clinical trials have been established on a global scale, which has high commercial potential for the treatment of cancer.

Immunotherapies based on CAR-T cells go one step further, engineering the T cells themselves to enhance the natural immune response against a specific tumor antigen. CAR-T clinical trials have shown high remission rates, up to 94%, in severe forms of blood cancer, thereby increasing the market growth.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED

1. What is the Europe cell and gene therapy market size and growth rate during the forecast period?

2. What are the factors driving the demand for CAR-T therapy in the European region?

3. How are strategic acquisitions aiding in market growth of cell and gene therapy products?

4. Which segments are expected to generate the highest revenues during the forecast period?

5. Who are the leading vendors in the European cell and gene therapy market?

INSIGHTS BY VENDORS

Novartis, Spark Therapeutics, Amgen, Gilead Sciences, and Organogenesis are the leading players in the Europe cell and gene therapy market. The market offers tremendous growth opportunities for existing and future/emerging players on account of the presence of a large pool of target patient population with chronic diseases such as cancer, wound disorders, diabetic foot ulcer, CVDs, and other genetic disorders. Recent approvals have prompted an unprecedented expansion among vendors.

While a few vendors are opting for in-house production of cell and gene therapies, a substantial number of vendors are preferring third-party service providers, including CMOs.

Prominent Vendors

Novartis

Spark Therapeutics

Amgen

Gilead Sciences

Organogenesis

Other Prominent Vendors

APAC Biotech

AVITA Medical

bluebird bio

CHIESI Farmaceutici

CollPlant

CO.DON

Human Stem Cells Institute PJSC (HSCI)

Medipost

NuVasive

Nipro

Orchard Therapeutics

RMS Regenerative Medical System

Orthocell

Osiris Therapeutics

Sibino GeneTech

Shanghai Sunway Biotech

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company

Terumo

Vericel

Emerging Investigational Vendors In Europe

Adaptimmune Therapeutics

AgenTus Therapeutics

Autolus

Cellecits

Celyad

CombiGene

EUKARYS

Freeline Therapeutics

Innoskel

PsiOxus Therapeutics Ltd

SparingVision

uniQure

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6gqw7e

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005462/en/

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Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Industry Outlook and Forecast Report 2021-2026 with Data-driven Insights on the Impact of COVID-19 -...

Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Report 2021-2026: Prominent Players are Novartis, Spark Therapeutics, Amgen, Gilead Sciences & Organogenesis -…

Dublin, Feb. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

In-depth Analysis and Data-driven Insights on the Impact of COVID-19 Included in this Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Report

The Europe cell and gene therapy market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 23% during the period 2021-2026.

The global cell and gene therapy market is observing significant mergers and acquisition activities, product sales, and new market authorizations. In 2026, the market is expected to grow almost four times more than the current value, with new product approvals expected annually. Although initial product approvals have been for relatively small patient groups, the significant pipeline of cell & gene therapy studies for diseases such as hemophilia and various forms of blindness will significantly expand.

In addition, the Europe market is witnessing steady growth due to the increased availability of funds from several public and private institutes. There is increased support from regulatory bodies for product approvals and fast-track product designations, which encourage vendors to manufacture products at a fast rate. Moreover, with over 237 regenerative medicines companies headquartered in Europe, the region is seen as the favorite destination for cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Segmentation

The Europe cell and gene therapy market research report includes a detailed segmentation by product, end-user, application, geography. A high potential to treat several chronic diseases, which cannot be effectively treated/cured through conventional methods otherwise, is propelling the growth of gene therapies. Gene therapies are regarded as a potential revolution in the health sciences and pharmaceutical fields.

The number of clinical trials investigating gene therapies is increasing in Europe, despite the limited number of products that have successfully reached the market. However, gene therapies show slow progress and promising prospect in terms of treatments. High support from regulatory bodies to commercialize these products and make them affordable to patients is another important factor contributing the market growth.

Delivering cell and gene therapies requires specialized facilities, capabilities, and clinician skills. Therefore, manufacturers are working in tandem with chosen treatment centers (hospitals) to establish the protocols and procedures necessary to receive the product and therapies. While cell therapies represent a paradigm shift in the treatment of several incurable, chronic diseases, with durable responses and long-term disease control measures, hospitals appear an ideal location to carry out these procedures.

Hospitals are growing at a significant rate due to the increasing target population in Europe. Tier-I hospitals are proving to be sought-after network partners for cell and gene therapy developers. They tend to be in major population centers, have adequate financial and personnel resources, and value the prestige that comes with being the first movers in an innovative treatment area.

Oncology accounted for a share of over 30% in 2020. While cancer treatments have evolved and undergone massive developments in recent years, it continues to be one of the deadliest diseases confronted by humans. Traditional cancer therapies have a curative effect in the short term; however, they have side effects, thereby decreasing the patient's quality of life. Cell and gene therapies for certain types of cancers have been promising results. The chimeric antigen receptor- (CAR-) T cell therapy is one of the most recent innovative immunotherapies and is rapidly evolving.

CAR-T cell therapies are developing rapidly, and many clinical trials have been established on a global scale, which has high commercial potential for the treatment of cancer. Immunotherapies based on CAR-T cells go one step further, engineering the T cells themselves to enhance the natural immune response against a specific tumor antigen. CAR-T clinical trials have shown high remission rates, up to 94%, in severe forms of blood cancer, thereby increasing the market growth.

INSIGHTS BY VENDORS

Novartis, Spark Therapeutics, Amgen, Gilead Sciences, and Organogenesis are the leading players in the Europe cell and gene therapy market. The market offers tremendous growth opportunities for existing and future/emerging players on account of the presence of a large pool of target patient population with chronic diseases such as cancer, wound disorders, diabetic foot ulcer, CVDs, and other genetic disorders. Recent approvals have prompted an unprecedented expansion among vendors. While a few vendors are opting for in-house production of cell and gene therapies, a substantial number of vendors are preferring third-party service providers, including CMOs.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED

1. What is the Europe cell and gene therapy market size and growth rate during the forecast period?2. What are the factors driving the demand for CAR-T therapy in the European region?3. How are strategic acquisitions aiding in market growth of cell and gene therapy products?4. Which segments are expected to generate the highest revenues during the forecast period?5. Who are the leading vendors in the European cell and gene therapy market?

Market DynamicsMarket Opportunities & Trends

Market Growth Enablers

Market Restraints

Prominent Vendors

Other Prominent Vendors

Emerging Investigational Vendors In Europe

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qm1hjg

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Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Report 2021-2026: Prominent Players are Novartis, Spark Therapeutics, Amgen, Gilead Sciences & Organogenesis -...

Rentschler Biopharma to build new cell and gene therapy capabilities in the UK – BioSpace

LONDON and LAUPHEIM, Germany, Feb. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult), an independent centre of excellence in innovation advancing the UKs cell and gene therapy industry, and Rentschler Biopharma SE, a leading global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) for biopharmaceuticals, have announced today that Rentschler Biopharma will establish their manufacturing capability in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), including Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Vectors for clinical trial supply, at the CGT Catapult site in Stevenage.

Under the terms of the agreement, Rentschler Biopharma will make a significant investment at the site over the next five years to set up their manufacturing capabilities, benefitting from the expertise and unique collaborative model provided by the CGT Catapult. The companys investment is expected to make a major contribution to meeting the demand from UK and international researchers for suitable manufacturing capability. This development will further strengthen the UK ecosystem through the addition of Rentschler Biopharmas more than 40 years of experience and solid reputation in the development and manufacturing of biologics for both clinical and commercial supply. The company will leverage the CGT Catapults expertise in ATMP manufacturing setup and technology development, as well as the cell and gene therapy cluster and ecosystem that has developed around Stevenage and across the UK.

Dr. Frank Mathias, CEO of Rentschler Biopharma, said:We are excited to take this next big step in our evolution and address the growing industry demand for ATMP manufacturing capacity and viral vector supply. With the largest industry cluster for cell and gene therapies outside the US, the UK is an ideal location for us to establish our Center of Excellence for cell and gene therapy. We look forward to working with the CGT Catapult as we invest in this growing field. They are well established in this important market, enabling us to immediately tap into the organisations network and utilisethe UKs strong expertise and supply chain in cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

Matthew Durdy, CEO of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, commented:We are very pleased that Rentschler Biopharma, a global CDMO, has chosen to build their ATMP capacity in the UK, bringing in their expertise and investment. This will build new capacity to benefit the international ATMP supply chain and meet growing academic and commercial demand across the industry. As more companies from around the globe come to the UK, it demonstrates and enhances the attractiveness of its cell and gene therapy ecosystem as a place to develop new technologies and capabilities.

The investment in the UK cell and gene therapy industry announced today is expected to further accelerate the development of the vital infrastructure and skilled jobs needed to meet the rising demand for manufacturing capacity in the UK and globally, as well as streamline the supply chain for these advanced therapies. Currently, 27% of European ATMP companies are operating in the UK, and there are more than 90 advanced therapy developers. The last year has also seen a 50% increase in the number of ATMP clinical trials being run in the UK, accounting for 12% of global ATMP clinical trials, and these numbers are predicted to increase further.

The CGT Catapult manufacturing centre has been backed by over 75m of funding, including investment from the UK Governments Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Innovate UK and from the European Regional Development Fund. Since it was announced, there has been over 1.1bn of investment in the ATMP industry in its vicinity.

About Rentschler Biopharma SE

Rentschler Biopharma is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), focused exclusively on client projects. The company offers process development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals as well as related consulting activities, including project management and regulatory support. Rentschler Biopharma's high quality is proven by its long-standing experience and excellence as a solution partner for its clients. A high-level quality management system, a well-established operational excellence philosophy and advanced technologies ensure product quality and productivity at each development and manufacturing step. In order to offer best-in-class formulation development along the biopharmaceutical value chain, the company has entered into a strategic alliance with Leukocare AG. Rentschler Biopharma is a family-owned company with about 1,000 employees, headquartered in Laupheim, Germany, with a second site in Milford, MA, USA. In Stevenage, UK, Rentschler Biopharma launched a company dedicated to cell and gene therapies, Rentschler ATMP Ltd.

For further information, please visit http://www.rentschler-biopharma.com. Follow Rentschler Biopharma on LinkedIn and Facebook.

About the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult was established as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation. With more than 330 employees focusing on cell and gene therapy technologies, it works with partners in academia and industry to ensure these life-changing therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. It offers leading-edge capability, technology and innovation to enable companies to take products into clinical trials and provide clinical, process development, manufacturing, regulatory, health economics and market access expertise. Its aim is to make the UK the most compelling and logical choice for UK and international partners to develop and commercialise these advanced therapies. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK.

For more information please visit ct.catapult.org.uk or visit http://www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.

About the European Regional Development Fund

This project has received 3.36m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.

About the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund

This project has received 12m of funding from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, part of the governments modern Industrial Strategy. The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund is a four-year, 1 billion investment in cutting-edge technology designed to create jobs and improve living standards, built on guidance from business and the academic community. Healthcare and Medicine is one of three core areas for investment under the programme.

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Rentschler Biopharma to build new cell and gene therapy capabilities in the UK - BioSpace

Gene Therapy Market to Reflect Impressive Growth Rate During 2020-2027 AveXis, Vineti, uniQure NV, Spark Therapeutics KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper -…

Gene Therapy Market research report delivers a comprehensive study on production capacity, consumption, import and export for all major regions across the world. Report provides is a professional inclusive study on the current state for the market. Analysis and discussion of important industry like market trends, size, share, growth estimates are mentioned in the report.

Gene therapy is the introduction of DNA into a patient to treat a genetic disease or a disorder. The newly inserted DNA contains a correcting gene to correct the effects of a disease, causing mutations. Gene therapy is a promising treatment for genetic diseases and also includes cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy. Gene therapy is a suitable treatment for infectious diseases, inherited disease and cancer.

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Gene Therapy Market Competition Landscape and Key Developments:

Gene Therapy Market Segmental Overview: The report specifically highlights the Gene Therapy market share, company profiles, regional outlook, product portfolio, a record of the recent developments, strategic analysis, key players in the market, sales, distribution chain, manufacturing, production, new market entrants as well as existing market players, advertising, brand value, popular products, demand and supply, and other important factors related to the market to help the new entrants understand the market scenario better.

The report specifically highlights the Gene Therapy market share, company profiles, regional outlook, product portfolio, a record of the recent developments, strategic analysis, key players in the market, sales, distribution chain, manufacturing, production, new market entrants as well as existing market players, advertising, brand value, popular products, demand and supply, and other important factors related to the market to help the new entrants understand the market scenario better.

To comprehend global Gene Therapy market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide market is analyzed across major global regions: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Australia), South America (Brazil, Argentina), Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and South Africa)

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Genethon and WhiteLab Genomics Join Forces to Enhance Gene Therapy Through Artificial Intelligence – BioSpace

Feb. 10, 2021 16:09 UTC

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WhiteLab Genomics, a specialist in artificial intelligence applied to gene and cell therapies, has signed a partnership agreement with Genethon, a pioneering research center in the field of gene therapy.The alliance will harness the power of artificial intelligence to accelerate development of innovative gene therapies.

As part of this partnership, Genethon teams will use WhiteLab Genomics CatalystTM platform to develop new capsids, or vectors, which are essential components for gene therapy products.

While several gene therapy products have already obtained market authorization for the treatment of rare and common diseases, which demonstrates the efficacy of this approach for conditions considered to be incurable, development of these complex therapies continues to face major scientific and technical hurdles. Many vectors used in gene therapy are derivatives of adeno-associated viruses (AAV). Their use has limitations: natural immunization of 30% to 40% of the population and difficulty targeting a specific tissue. As a result, extremely large quantities of vectors are necessary. In this context, the use of artificial intelligence solutions stands out as a deciding factor to overcome these obstacles and produce optimized vectors that better target the relevant tissues, thus making it possible to inject smaller quantities of product while maximizing the effect of the therapy.

Turning to AI for faster development of optimized vectors

Genethons teams will use WhiteLab Genomics CatalystTM platform to accelerate select research programs.

Thanks to its Machine Learning algorithms, the WhiteLab Genomics platform will help researchers develop next-generation gene therapy vectors, with a view to enhancing their precision with regard to the tissues to be treated while reducing their immunogenic qualities.

The tools developed by WhiteLab will make it possible for us to review thousands of sequences and devise new and innovative combinations. We aim to develop a new generation of more specific AAV vectors, contributing to the emergence of original treatments for neuromuscular disorders, said Dr. Ronzitti, who is managing the collaboration for Genethon.

We are thrilled to be working together with worldwide trailblazers and experts in the area of gene therapy, stated David Del Bourgo, CEO and co-founder of WhiteLab Genomics. France is a prime source of innovation in this field, and we look forward to helping research teams, in France and abroad, to make practical use of these extremely complex biological datasets, while also providing assistance to accelerate the development of optimized products.

About White Lab Genomics

Founded in 2019 by David Del Bourgo, Julien Cottineau and Lucia Cinque, WhiteLab Genomics is a French start-up specializing in artificial intelligence solutions dedicated to biotherapies, such as gene and cell therapies. The companys proprietary technology allows for multi-parameter analysis of complex biological data to optimize these treatments while reducing development costs. WhiteLab Genomics provides this unique technology to its clients via the Catalyst platform, available in SaaS mode. Today, the start-up has locations at the Evry Gnopole Frances first biocluster and at Station F. WhiteLab Genomics was recently ranked among Station Fs Future 40, an index of the 40 most promising companies within Europes largest start-up incubator. https://www.whitelabgx.com

About Genethon

Created by AFM-Telethon, Genethon is a non-profit research and development center dedicated to creating gene therapy products for rare diseases, from initial research to clinical validation. Genethon has several programs underway, in clinical, pre-clinical and research phases, to treat rare muscular, blood, immune system and liver disorders. Today, a product incorporating technologies developed thanks to Genethons pioneering research is available on the market in the United States, Europe and Japan to treat spinal muscular atrophy. Ten other products created through Genethon R&D, alone or in collaboration with partners, are at the clinical trial stage, while many more are slated to begin clinical trials in 2021 and 2022. Genethon.fr

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Genethon and WhiteLab Genomics Join Forces to Enhance Gene Therapy Through Artificial Intelligence - BioSpace

Avrobio Gene Therapy Shows Early Promise in Fabry, Other Rare Lysosomal Diseases – BioSpace

Shares of AVROBIO wereup nearly 20% in premarket trading after the company posted positive clinical data from its gene therapy trials in three different rare lysosomal diseases, Fabry, Gaucher type 1 and cystinosis.

The data from the Phase II study assessing AVR-RD-01, an investigational ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy for Fabry disease, was particularly promising. This morning, Cambridge, Mass.-based Avrobio said a second kidney biopsy conducted on the first patient dosed with AVR-RD-01 showed 100% clearance of the toxic substrate Gb3.

Kidney substrate reduction is the primary endpoint of the Phase II study and has been a cornerstone for evaluating and approving treatments in Fabry disease, Avrobio noted. Avrobio said the patient came in with significant toxic buildup in his kidneys, which is quite common with Fabry disease. One year after the gene therapy treatment was administered in the trial, two independent pathologists foundzero markersof toxic substrate across all the 99 biopsy slides each evaluated.

The first biopsy conducted on the patient showed an 87% clearance of the substrate. In addition to the substrate clearance in the Fabry disease study, AvroBio reported continued strong and durable results in other key metrics across all nine Phase I and Phase II Fabry patients. All patients are now producing the functional enzyme they need to clear toxic substrate from their cells and seeing a concurrent drop in plasma substrate. The farthest patient is out 3.5 years, the company said.

Avrobio Chief Executive Officer Geoff MacKay hailed the data and said it was a thrilling way to begin 2021. The data announced this morning builds on the breadth of strong clinical data weve reported across our leading lysosomal disorder pipeline of single-dose gene therapies, he added.

The Fabry disease study wasnt the only positive news from Avrobio. The company also announced six-month data from the first patient dosed in the Phase I/II study of AVR-RD-02, an investigational ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy for Gaucher disease type 1. That data showed plasma chitotriosidase and the toxic metabolite lyso-Gb1, which are key biomarkers of Gaucher disease, had both dropped 49% below the patients baseline levels that had been achieved on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) before gene therapy was administered. Also, Lyso-Gb1, the toxic metabolite that builds up in cells throughout the body in Gaucher, is down 44% below the patients ERT baseline. Avrobio said this is an early sign of efficacy.

Based on the data observed to date, we believe lentiviral gene therapy drives down toxic metabolites below levels of ERT, supporting our view that gene therapy has the potential to prevent, halt or even reverse progression of these devastating diseases with a single infusion, MacKay said.

For the cystinosis study, Avrobio said three patients who are taking part in the study are now off of standard-of-care treatment. The first study patient has had sharp reductions in crystal density in the eyes and skin and a marked improvement in photophobia, which is an extreme sensitivity to light that is associated with the disease.

With 13 patients dosed across three clinical programs, we have observed sustained and potentially transformative improvements in key biomarkers and functional metrics, with data from our Fabry disease program out 3 years after dosing. Additionally, enrollment activities for our Fabry disease trial are accelerating, giving us added confidence in our efforts to meet our goal of having dosed a cumulative 30 patients across all our clinical programs by the end of the year. With this strong momentum, we look forward to clarifying the regulatory pathway with regulatory agencies, MacKay said in a statement.

Full data from the studies will be presented later this week and WORLDSymposium, an annual meeting dedicated to lysosomal disorders.

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Avrobio Gene Therapy Shows Early Promise in Fabry, Other Rare Lysosomal Diseases - BioSpace

The Europe cell and gene therapy market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 23% during the period 20212026 – GlobeNewswire

New York, Feb. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06021776/?utm_source=GNW

The global cell and gene therapy market is observing significant mergers and acquisition activities, product sales, and new market authorizations. In 2026, the market is expected to grow almost four times more than the current value, with new product approvals expected annually. Although initial product approvals have been for relatively small patient groups, the significant pipeline of cell & gene therapy studies for diseases such as hemophilia and various forms of blindness will significantly expand. In addition, the Europe market is witnessing steady growth due to the increased availability of funds from several public and private institutes. There is increased support from regulatory bodies for product approvals and fast-track product designations, which encourage vendors to manufacture products at a fast rate. Moreover, with over 237 regenerative medicines companies headquartered in Europe, the region is seen as the favorite destination for cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

The following factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the Europe cell and gene therapy market during the forecast period: CMOs Offering Vector Manufacturing Services for Cell and Gene Therapy Companies Robust Cell & Gene Therapies in the Pipeline Increase in Strategic Acquisitions Regulatory Support for Cell and Gene Therapy Products

The study considers the present scenario of the Europe cell and gene therapy market and its market dynamics for the period 2020?2026. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The report offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent ones operating in the market.

Europe Cell and Gene Therapy Market Segmentation The Europe cell and gene therapy market research report includes a detailed segmentation by product, end-user, application, geography. A high potential to treat several chronic diseases, which cannot be effectively treated/cured through conventional methods otherwise, is propelling the growth of gene therapies. Gene therapies are regarded as a potential revolution in the health sciences and pharmaceutical fields. The number of clinical trials investigating gene therapies is increasing in Europe, despite the limited number of products that have successfully reached the market. However, gene therapies show slow progress and promising prospect in terms of treatments. High support from regulatory bodies to commercialize these products and make them affordable to patients is another important factor contributing the market growth.

Delivering cell and gene therapies requires specialized facilities, capabilities, and clinician skills. Therefore, manufacturers are working in tandem with chosen treatment centers (hospitals) to establish the protocols and procedures necessary to receive the product and therapies. While cell therapies represent a paradigm shift in the treatment of several incurable, chronic diseases, with durable responses and long-term disease control measures, hospitals appear an ideal location to carry out these procedures. Hospitals are growing at a significant rate due to the increasing target population in Europe. Tier-I hospitals are proving to be sought-after network partners for cell and gene therapy developers. They tend to be in major population centers, have adequate financial and personnel resources, and value the prestige that comes with being the first movers in an innovative treatment area.

Oncology accounted for a share of over 30% in 2020. While cancer treatments have evolved and undergone massive developments in recent years, it continues to be one of the deadliest diseases confronted by humans. Traditional cancer therapies have a curative effect in the short term; however, they have side effects, thereby decreasing the patients quality of life. Cell and gene therapies for certain types of cancers have been promising results. The chimeric antigen receptor- (CAR-) T cell therapy is one of the most recent innovative immunotherapies and is rapidly evolving. CAR-T cell therapies are developing rapidly, and many clinical trials have been established on a global scale, which has high commercial potential for the treatment of cancer. Immunotherapies based on CAR-T cells go one step further, engineering the T cells themselves to enhance the natural immune response against a specific tumor antigen. CAR-T clinical trials have shown high remission rates, up to 94%, in severe forms of blood cancer, thereby increasing the market growth.

Product Cell Therapies Gene Therapies End-user Hospitals Cancer Care Centers Wound Care Centers Others Application Oncology Dermatology Musculoskeletal Others

INSIGHTS BY GEOGRAPHY Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Spain play a significant role in the Europe cell and gene therapy market. Clinical trials and the number of manufacturing facilities are increasing slowly in the European region. The region has become a major R&D destination for several vendors as the funding for cell & gene therapies is increasing. Europe has supported collaborative efforts in gene transfer and gene therapy research. In addition, the target patient population is increasing across Europe; there were an estimated 3.9 million new cases of cancer and 1.9 million cancer deaths in Europe in 2018. In addition, the prevalence surveys in the UK and Denmark indicate that there are 34 people with one or more wounds per 1,000 people. Favorable government support in terms of product approvals, reimbursement and coverage, and high R&D funding to academic institutes that are involved in the development of cell and gene therapies are expected to boosting the market in Europe.

Geography Europe o UK o Germany o France o Italy o Spain o Switzerland o Netherlands

INSIGHTS BY VENDORS Novartis, Spark Therapeutics, Amgen, Gilead Sciences, and Organogenesis are the leading players in the Europe cell and gene therapy market. The market offers tremendous growth opportunities for existing and future/emerging players on account of the presence of a large pool of target patient population with chronic diseases such as cancer, wound disorders, diabetic foot ulcer, CVDs, and other genetic disorders. Recent approvals have prompted an unprecedented expansion among vendors. While a few vendors are opting for in-house production of cell and gene therapies, a substantial number of vendors are preferring third-party service providers, including CMOs.

Prominent Vendors Novartis Spark Therapeutics Amgen Gilead Sciences Organogenesis

Other Prominent Vendors APAC Biotech AVITA Medical bluebird bio CHIESI Farmaceutici CollPlant CO.DON Human Stem Cells Institute PJSC (HSCI) Medipost NuVasive Nipro Orchard Therapeutics RMS Regenerative Medical System Orthocell Osiris Therapeutics Sibino GeneTech Shanghai Sunway Biotech Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Terumo Vericel

Emerging Investigational Vendors In Europe Adaptimmune Therapeutics AgenTus Therapeutics Autolus Cellecits Celyad CombiGene EUKARS Freeline Therapeutics Innoskel PsiOxus Therapeutics Ltd SparingVision uniQure

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED 1. What is the Europe cell and gene therapy market size and growth rate during the forecast period? 2. What are the factors driving the demand for CAR-T therapy in the European region? 3. How are strategic acquisitions aiding in market growth of cell and gene therapy products? 4. Which segments are expected to generate the highest revenues during the forecast period? 5. Who are the leading vendors in the European cell and gene therapy market?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06021776/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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The Europe cell and gene therapy market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 23% during the period 20212026 - GlobeNewswire

Global Genes Announces New Multimedia Series Focused on Advances in Gene Therapy and Editing, in Collaboration with the National Institutes of Health…

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As gene therapies and editing technologies rapidly advance, it is more urgent than ever to provide updates and information to the rare disease community on how these technologies can be applied across multiple diseases. Global Genes, a leading rare disease patient advocacy organization, is pleased to announce they will be publishing a multimedia series, titled Platforms of Hope: Advances in Gene Therapy and Gene Editing, throughout 2021 regarding upcoming data announcements and information on gene therapy and editing technology advances with thought leaders from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), the NIH Common Funds Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) program and other leading voices in these fields.

In addition to ongoing coverage through Global Genes videos, online publication RARE Daily and RARECast podcast, the organization will be publishing a special report at the end of 2021 on gene therapy and gene editing innovation. This will address a wide range of topics, with a focus on efforts to accelerate the translation of discoveries into genetic medicines that benefit patients with rare diseases.

With more than 7,000 rare diseases, there is an urgent need to keep the rare disease community abreast of developments in the rapidly changing fields of gene therapy and genome editing, said P.J. Brooks, program director at the Office of Rare Diseases Research at the NCATS. In this collaboration, NIH will help Global Genes identify the ideas, technologies and advances that have broad implications for many patients and families affected by rare diseases and provide information that could positively impact their lives and care in the future.

This collaboration will bring visibility into cutting-edge science at the frontier of genetic medicines and provide the rare disease community with insights into emerging technologies and therapies in development for rare diseases, said Christian Rubio, vice president, strategic advancement at Global Genes. Its critically important to educate the rare disease community on these rapidly evolving events.

For more information, visit http://www.globalgenes.org/media-hub.

About Global Genes

Global Genes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the burdens and challenges of rare diseases for patients and families globally. In pursuit of our mission, we connect, empower, and inspire the rare disease community to stand up, stand out, and become more effective on their own behalf -- helping to spur innovation, meet essential needs, build capacity and knowledge, and drive progress within and across rare diseases. We serve the more than 400 million people around the globe and nearly one in 10 Americans affected by rare diseases. If you or someone you love has a rare disease, or are searching for a diagnosis, contact Global Genes at 949-248-RARE, or visit our resource hub.

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Global Genes Announces New Multimedia Series Focused on Advances in Gene Therapy and Editing, in Collaboration with the National Institutes of Health...

FLT201 Shows Promise as a Gene Therapy for Gaucher Disease – MD Magazine

New data shows FLT201 could yield sustained levels of -glucocerebrosidase (GCase) variant 85 to help treat patients with Gaucher disease.

Freeline Therapeutics Holdings announced the data with 1 oral and 3 e-poster presentations the 17THAnnual WORLDSymposium showing the benefit of FLT201 allowing them to move forward with the first ever in-human dose finding studies of the gene therapy.

FLT201

The treatment leverages Freelines proprietary high-potency adeno-associated virus capsid (AAVS3).

In addition, GCasevar 85, which is being compared to a wild-type GCase, has shown a greater than 20-fold increase in half-life in lysosomal pH and a 6-10 fold increase in half-life in serum, which produces a 20-fold increase in potency of the vector.

The gene therapy is a combination of AAVS3 capsid and a liver-specific promoter that drives the expression of GCasevar85.

These data demonstrate preclinical proof-of-concept for the potential of the program to provide functional cures in patients with the most common form of Gaucher disease, Type 1. Included in these data are demonstration of GCase expression, cellular uptake, tissue penetration, enzymatic activity, and clearance of disease causing substrate, glucosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb1), Romuald Corbau, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Freeline, said in a statement. Considered in totality, these data suggest FLT201 may be able to deliver sustained GCase expression in difficult-to-reach tissues, such as bone marrow and lung, as evidenced by the substrate clearance.

The Studies

In the first study, involving a wild-type mouse, FLT201 resulted in robust GCase expression in the liver and sustained GCase secretion into the plasma, with enhanced and sustained GCase uptake observed in key tissues involved in Gaucher disease including spleen, bone marrow and lung.

In addition, the researchers used Gba-deficient mice and found the treatment resulted in the restoration of GCase activity in difficult-to-reach tissues, observed by decreased levels of disease causing substrate, lyso-Gb1, increased concentrations of plasma GCase and reduced activated macrophages and inflammation in the lung.

The investigators also found from in vitro studies the treatment allowed GCasevar 85 to be taken up by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and macrophages at levels comparable to those seen with ERT.

Finally, the gene therapy treatment in rhesus macaques was well-tolerated with rapid and robust increases in plasma GCase levels.

In the second poster, the researchers found variant 85 showed the highest level of GCase activity when transduced using AAVS3 in Huh7 cells, with more than an 80-fold increase in activity compared to wild-type GCase. GCasevar85 also showed increased stability in different physiological media compared with enzyme replacement therapy, without differing in its fundamental enzymatic parameter KM.

In the third poster, the researchers showed a custom in vitro phage display library against the enzyme -galactosidase A (GLA) to screen and develop a unique GLA neutralizing IgG4 antibody.

The Future

Freeline is expecting to initiate the first in-human dose finding studies of FLT201 by late 2021.

FLT201 data suggest that our gene therapy candidate for Gaucher disease is capable of delivering -glucocerebrosidase variant85 to tissues not sufficiently addressed by standard-of-care enzyme replacement therapy, said Theresa Heggie, Chief Executive Officer of Freeline, in a statement. In addition, we believe steady delivery of enzyme into target tissues to enable sustained clearance of pathologic substrate has the potential to offer significant improvements in clinical outcomes over existing standard of care.

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FLT201 Shows Promise as a Gene Therapy for Gaucher Disease - MD Magazine

NICE Draft Guidance Recommends that Patients be Denied Access to bluebird bio’s Gene Therapy for Life-Limiting Rare Blood Diseas – PharmiWeb.com

NICE Draft Guidance Recommends that Patients be Denied Access to bluebird bios Gene Therapy for Life-Limiting Rare Blood Disease

This guidance fails to recognise the severe burden for patients with transfusion-dependent -thalassaemia (TDT), who depend on lifelong blood transfusions every two to five weeks to survive1 and have an average age of death of around 452

NICEs decision threatens the future of gene therapies in the UK, despite the governments clear commitment to bring these transformative treatments to patients

bluebird bios ZYNTEGLO(betibeglogene autotemcel gene therapy; beti-cel) is a one-time gene therapy that addresses the underlying cause of TDT and offers eligible people living with the disease the potential to live life free from transfusions3,4,5

BASINGSTOKE, UK 11 February 2021bluebird bio, Inc. today expressed significant concern that eligible people in England and Wales with transfusion-dependent -thalassaemia (TDT) could be denied access to its gene therapy, beti-cel, under draft guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE is recommending against routine NHS funding for this innovative, one-time therapy, despite recognising it as a potentially curative treatment. The draft guidance disregards the significant burden TDT has on peoples quality of life and life expectancy, and outlines their intention to use a health economic model to assess the value of beti-cel, which NICE itself has acknowledged needs to be updated in order to appropriately evaluate gene therapies. We are shocked and disappointed by this recommendation and strongly believe that NICE has failed to act in the best interests of people with TDT and their families in England and Wales, comments Nicola Redfern, UK General Manager at bluebird bio. It is baffling that NICE disregarded the testimonies of patients, advocacy groups and clinicians and, despite recognising beti-cel as a potential cure for patients with TDT, has chosen to deny access and has dismissed the obvious unmet need. This decision is deeply concerning and will not only come as a huge blow to the TDT community, but also sets a dangerous precedent which could limit access to other gene therapies in the UK in the future.

Living with thalassaemia is a difficult and challenging experience not just for patients but for their entire families, said Romaine Maharaj, Executive Director, UK Thalassaemia Society. Our main aim at the UKTS is to improve the quality of life and experience of people living with thalassaemia through education, one to one support, research, service improvements and policy changes. We aspire to provide our members with empathy and the necessary hope to be optimistic about their futures. We are extremely disappointed with NICES decision not to recommend betibeglogene autotemcel as a treatment option in the UK. We also feel disheartened that our patient experts were misquoted and used out of context and feel that NICE needs to rectify this. Having an option and the access to a potentially curable treatment is vital and should be offered to patients.

People with thalassaemia inherit a faulty gene that means they are unable to produce normally functioning haemoglobin the protein responsible for carrying oxygen around the body.6,7 TDT is the most severe form of the disease8,9 and requires life-long blood transfusions every two to five weeks.1 However, these transfusions carry significant risks of iron overload, and even when treated optimally, excess iron will build up in tissues, leading to unavoidable and progressive multi organ damage.6 Having to rely on regular blood transfusions has a significant impact on day-to-day life, including education, work, and mental and physical wellbeing.10,11

TDT impacts life expectancy and quality of life for sufferers, and involves gruelling, life-long treatment, said Professor John B. Porter, MA, M.D., FRCP, FRCPath, University College London Hospitals, London, UK. Gene therapy could offer a potentially transformative option for eligible patients with TDT, by freeing them from the burden of regular blood transfusions and enabling them to live a more normal life. As a clinician who has worked to advance therapies for patients with TDT over the last three decades and understands the demands and limitations of current therapies, as well as the potential of gene therapy from first-hand experience, I very much hope that people with TDT in England and Wales will soon have the opportunity to benefit from this significant advancement.

The position outlined by NICE in its Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) recommends against the routine funding of beti-cel for people with TDT in England and Wales, aged 12 years and over, who do not have a 0/0 genotype and for whom haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is appropriate but a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related HSC donor is not available. In its ACD, NICE has recommended against applying the 1.5% discount rate to beti-cel, an economic principle NICE developed to ensure that the value of treatments with long-term health benefits could be accurately assessed. By failing to apply this discount rate, NICE has chosen to use a reimbursement framework that is not fit to evaluate transformative treatments such as gene therapies and places the UK at risk of falling behind other nations in advancing the best possible care for patients.

Under the NICE review process beti-cel was assessed in comparison to the current standard of care for all TDT patients, which is regular blood transfusions and therapy to reduce iron overload. Clinical data submitted to NICE showed that, of 24 people living with TDT, 83.3% achieved blood transfusion independence (living transfusion-free for at least 12 months) after being treated with beti-cel.5 In preparation for the next NICE appraisal committee meeting, bluebird bio will be submitting updated data from the ongoing Phase 3 Northstar-2 study, which showed that 89% of people (n=17) treated achieved transfusion independence (defined as living transfusion-free for at least 12 months).12

This guidance is draft and open for consultation until 4 March 2021, during which time anyone wishing to comment can do so on the NICE website.

About beti-cel The European Commission granted conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel; formerly LentiGlobin gene therapy for -thalassemia), to be marketed as ZYNTEGLOgene therapy, for people 12 years and older with transfusion-dependent -thalassaemia (TDT) who do not have a 0/0 genotype, for whom HSC transplantation is appropriate, but a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related HSC donor is not available. On April 28, 2020, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) renewed the CMA for beti-cel, supported by data from 32 patients treated with beti-cel, including three patients with up to five years of follow-up.5

The CMA for beti-cel is valid in the 27 member states of the EU as well as the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. For details, please see the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC).5 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted beti-cel Orphan Drug status and Breakthrough Therapy designation for the treatment of TDT.

Beti-cel continues to be evaluated in the ongoing Phase 3 Northstar-2 and Northstar-3 studies. For more

information about the ongoing clinical studies, visit clinicaltrials.gov and use identifier NCT02906202 for

Northstar-2 (HGB-207) and NCT03207009 for Northstar-3 (HGB-212).

This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring.

About bluebird bio

bluebird bio is pioneering gene therapy with purpose. From our Cambridge, Mass., headquarters, were developing gene and cell therapies for severe genetic diseases and cancer, with the goal that people facing potentially fatal conditions with limited treatment options can live their lives fully. Beyond our labs, were working to positively disrupt the healthcare system to create access, transparency and education so that gene therapy can become available to all those who can benefit.

bluebird bio is a human company powered by human stories. Were putting our care and expertise to work across a spectrum of disorders: cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, sickle cell disease, -thalassemia and multiple myeloma, using gene and cell therapy technologies including gene addition, and (megaTAL-enabled) gene editing.

bluebird bio has additional nests in Seattle, Wash.; Durham, N.C.; Zug, Switzerland; Munich, Germany; Milan, Italy; Utrecht, the Netherlands; Hampshire, United Kingdom; Paris, France; and Athens, Greece.

For further information, visit bluebirdbio.co.uk

ZYNTEGLO, LentiGlobin, and bluebird bio are trademarks of bluebird bio, Inc.

Media:

sa Josefsson, +41 79 679 1217

ajosefsson@bluebirdbio.com

Callum Haire, +44 (0) 7867 429 637

callum.haire@madano.com

Investors: Ingrid Goldberg, +14 10 960 5022

igoldberg@bluebirdbio.com

References

1 Trompeter S et al. Thalassaemia International Federation. 2014. Chapter 2. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK269390/.

2 Jobanputra et al. British Journal of Haematology. 2020.

3 Thompson A, Walters M, Kwiatkowski J, et al. Northstar-2: Updated Safety and Efficacy Analysis of LentiGlobin Gene Therapy in Patients with Transfusion-Dependent -Thalassemia and Non-0/0 Genotypes. Poster presentation (Abstract #3543). 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting; 2019 Dec 7-10; Orlando, Florida, USA.

4 Lal A, Locatelli F, Kwiatkowski J, et al. Northstar-3: Interim Results from a Phase 3 Study Evaluating LentiGlobin Gene Therapy in Patients with Transfusion-Dependent -Thalassemia and Either a 0 or IVS-I-110 Mutation at Both Alleles of the HBB Gene. Oral presentation (Abstract #815). 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting; 2019 Dec 7-10; Orlando, Florida, USA.

5 European Medicine Agency. Zynteglo: EPAR Product Information. European Medicines Agency. 3 June 2019. Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/product-information/zynteglo-epar-product-information_en.pdf.

6 Galanello and Origa, Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2010;5:11.

7 NHS. Beta Thalassemia. 2018. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/thalassaemia/. Accessed November 2020.

8 Cappellini et al. 2014. Thalassemia International Federation: Guidelines for the Management of Transfusion Dependent Thalassaemia (TDT), 3rd Edition.

9 Olivieri, N.F. 1999. The beta-thalassemias. N Engl J Med, 341, 99-109.

10 Shah et al. Blood. 2019;134 (Supplement_1):3550.

11 Paramore et al. The Patient-Patient-Centered Outcomes Research. 2020.

12 Porter JB et al. Improvement in erythropoiesis in patients with transfusion-dependent -thalassemia following treatment with betibeglogene autotemcel (LentiGlobin for -thalassemia) in the Phase 3 HGB-207 study. Oral presentation (Abstract S296). 25th European Hematology Association (EHA25) Annual Congress; Virtual Congress, 11-21 June 2020.

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NICE Draft Guidance Recommends that Patients be Denied Access to bluebird bio's Gene Therapy for Life-Limiting Rare Blood Diseas - PharmiWeb.com

Dyno Therapeutics Announces Publication in Nature Biotechnology Demonstrating Use of Artificial Intelligence to Generate Unprecedented Diversity of…

Feb. 11, 2021 16:00 UTC

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dyno Therapeutics, a biotech company applying artificial intelligence (AI) to gene therapy, today announced a publication in Nature Biotechnology that demonstrates the use of artificial intelligence to generate an unprecedented diversity of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids towards identifying functional variants capable of evading the immune system, a factor that is critical to enabling all patients to benefit from gene therapies. The research was conducted in collaboration with Google Research, Harvards Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard Medical School laboratory of George M. Church, Ph.D., a Dyno scientific co-founder. The publication is entitled Deep diversification of an AAV capsid protein by machine learning.

It is estimated that up to 50-70% of the human population have pre-existing immunity to natural forms of the AAV vectors currently being using to deliver gene therapies. This immunity renders a large portion of patients ineligible to receive gene therapies which rely upon these capsids as the vector for delivery. Overcoming the challenge of pre-existing immunity to AAV vectors is therefore a major goal for the gene therapy field.

The approach described in the Nature Biotechnology paper opens a radically new frontier in capsid design. Our study clearly demonstrates the potential of machine learning to guide the design of diverse and functional sequence variants, far beyond what exists in nature, said Eric Kelsic, Ph.D., Dynos CEO and co-founder. We continue to expand and apply the power of artificial intelligence to design vectors that can not only overcome the problem of pre-existing immunity but also address the need for more effective and selective tissue targeting. At Dyno, we are making rapid progress to design novel AAV vectors that overcome the limitations of current vectors, improving treatments for more patients and expanding the number of diseases treatable with gene therapies.

The Nature Biotechnology paper describes the rapid production of a large library of distinct AAV capsid variants designed by machine learning models. Nearly 60% of the variants produced were determined to be viable, a significant increase over the typical yield of <1% using random mutagenesis, a standard method of generating diversity.

The more we change the AAV vector from how it looks naturally, the more likely we are to overcome the problem of pre-existing immunity, added Sam Sinai, Ph.D., Dyno co-founder and Machine Learning Team Lead. Key to solving this problem, however, is also ensuring that capsid variants remain viable for packaging the DNA payload. With conventional methods, this diversification is time- and resource-intensive, and results in a very low yield of viable capsids. In contrast, our approach allows us to rapidly unlock the full potential diversity of AAV capsids to develop improved gene therapies for a much larger number of patients.

This research builds upon previous work published in Science in which a complete landscape of single mutations around the AAV2 capsid was generated followed by evaluation of the functional properties important for in vivo delivery. In parallel with these works, Dyno has established collaborations with leading gene therapy companies Novartis, Sarepta Therapeutics, Roche and Spark Therapeutics to develop next-generation AAV gene therapy vectors with a goal of expanding the utility of gene therapies for ophthalmic, muscle, central nervous system (CNS) and liver diseases.

About CapsidMap for Designing Optimized AAV Gene Therapies

By designing capsids that confer improved functional properties to Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vectors, Dynos proprietary CapsidMap platform overcomes the limitations of todays gene therapies on the market and in development. Todays treatments are primarily confined to a small number of naturally occurring AAV vectors that are limited by delivery efficiency, immunity, payload size, and manufacturing challenges. CapsidMap uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to engineer capsids, the cell-targeting protein shell of viral vectors. The CapsidMap platform applies leading-edge DNA library synthesis and next generation DNA sequencing to measure in vivo gene delivery properties in high throughput. At the core of CapsidMap are advanced search algorithms leveraging machine learning and Dynos massive quantities of experimental data, that together build a comprehensive map of sequence space and thereby accelerate the design of novel capsids optimized for gene therapy.

About Dyno Therapeutics

Dyno Therapeutics is a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence (AI) and quantitative high-throughput in vivo experiments to gene therapy. The companys proprietary CapsidMap platform rapidly discovers and systematically optimizes Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) capsid vectors that significantly outperform current approaches for in vivo gene delivery, thereby expanding the range of diseases treatable with gene therapies. Dyno was founded in 2018 by experienced biotech entrepreneurs and leading scientists in the fields of gene therapy and machine learning. The company is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Visit http://www.dynotx.com for additional information.

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Dyno Therapeutics Announces Publication in Nature Biotechnology Demonstrating Use of Artificial Intelligence to Generate Unprecedented Diversity of...

Breakthrough gene therapy helps Utah boy thrive – Yahoo News

The Telegraph

A detained Saudi womens rights activist had electrodes fixed to her head during phone calls with her family to prevent her speaking of the torture she suffered in prison, her sister said on Thursday after her release. Loujain al-Hathoul was released to her familys home in Riyadh on Wednesday after 1,001 days in prison on charges related to her activism. Under her probation she is unable to travel, use social media or speak to the media. Her sisters, who live abroad, announced Thursday that Ms al-Hathoul will seek legal redress in Saudi Arabia for torture she said she suffered in detention. She was tortured and she cannot forget this, her sister Lina said, during an online press conference. The family have previously claimed Ms al-Hathoul was tortured which Saudi authorities deny but gave new details Thursday, including that the threat of electrocution stopped her speaking out. If I complained about anything they were ready to electrocute me, Lina said her sister told the family on Wednesday of her early months in detention. It was months later that we found out about the torture when Ms al-Hathoul was moved to another prison, Lina said. Ms al-Hathoul has identified one of her torturers as Saud Al Qahtani, a top adviser to the Saudi crown prince until he was sanctioned by the US over his role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Hes the only person that we know the name of who was present at the torture sessions, Lina said. Mr Qahtani is notorious in Saudi Arabia, sometimes called the lord of the flies for his army of Twitter trolls used for attacking dissidents. Loujain recognised him, hes a public figure, said her older sister Alia. Ms al-Hathoul now hopes to use the Saudi justice system to prove she was tortured and seek justice. The torturers must be sentenced, Lina said. In December, Ms al-Hathoul was sentenced to nearly six years imprisonment over her activism, which included demanding the right for women to drive and calling for the abolition of Saudi Arabias male guardianship system. The decades old driving ban was lifted weeks after her arrest, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman eager to claim the credit for the reform. The 35-year-old prince muscled his way to become next in line to the throne in 2015, partly by projecting an image as a dynamic young reformer who could modernise the conservative kingdom. But the sisters believe that any reforms under Mohammed bin Salman are illusory. MBS is far from being a reformer, hes an oppressor, said Lina, referring to him by his initials. Womens empowerment is a lie in Saudi Arabia, there are no real reforms, she said. Lina said she was choosing her words carefully to avoid further negative repercussions for her family still in Saudi Arabia: Theres really an atmosphere of fear under MBS. The family believe Ms al-Hathouls early release was timed by the Saudi government to impress new US President Joe Biden, who has promised closer scrutiny of his close allys human rights record. Saudi Arabias situation is tightly connected with whats going on in the US, Alia said. The Biden administration made clear that they care about human rights.

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Breakthrough gene therapy helps Utah boy thrive - Yahoo News

Global Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Vectors in Gene Therapy Market to 2030 – Insight, Epidemiology and Forecasts – ResearchAndMarkets.com – Yahoo…

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Stefan Qin was just 19 when he claimed to have the secret to cryptocurrency trading.Buoyed with youthful confidence, Qin, a self-proclaimed math prodigy from Australia, dropped out of college in 2016 to start a hedge fund in New York he called Virgil Capital. He told potential clients he had developed an algorithm called Tenjin to monitor cryptocurrency exchanges around the world to seize on price fluctuations. A little more than a year after it started, he bragged the fund had returned 500%, a claim that produced a flurry of new money from investors.He became so flush with cash, Qin signed a lease in September 2019 for a $23,000-a-month apartment in 50 West, a 64-story luxury condo building in the financial district with expansive views of lower Manhattan as well as a pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub and golf simulator.In reality, federal prosecutors said, the operation was a lie, essentially a Ponzi scheme that stole about $90 million from more than 100 investors to help pay for Qins lavish lifestyle and personal investments in such high-risk bets as initial coin offerings. At one point, facing client demands for their money, he variously blamed poor cash flow management and loan sharks in China for his troubles. Last week, Qin, now 24 and expressing remorse, pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to a single count of securities fraud.I knew that what I was doing was wrong and illegal, he told U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who could sentence him to more than 15 years in prison. I deeply regret my actions and will spend the rest of my life atoning for what I did. I am profoundly sorry for the harm my selfish behavior has caused to my investors who trusted in me, my employees and my family.Eager InvestorsThe case echoes similar cryptocurrency frauds, such as that of BitConnect, promising people double-and triple-digit returns and costing investors billions. Ponzi schemes like that show how investors eager to cash in on a hot market can easily be led astray by promises of large returns. Canadian exchange QuadrigaCX collapsed in 2019 as a result of fraud, causing at least $125 million in losses for 76,000 investors.While regulatory oversight of the cryptocurrency industry is tightening, the sector is littered with inexperienced participants. A number of the 800 or so crypto funds worldwide are run by people with no knowledge of Wall Street or finance, including some college students and recent graduates who launched funds a few years ago.Qins path started in college, too. He had been a math whiz who planned on becoming a physicist, he told a website, DigFin, in a profile published in December, just a week before regulators closed in on him. He described himself on his LinkedIn page as a quant with a deep interest and understanding in blockchain technology.In 2016, he won acceptance into a program for high-potential entrepreneurs at the University of New South Wales in Sydney with a proposal to use blockchain technology to speed up foreign exchange transactions. He also attended the Minerva Schools, a mostly online college based in San Francisco, from August 2016 through December 2017, the school confirmed.Crypto BugHe got the crypto bug after an internship with a firm in China, he told DigFin. His task had been to build a platform between two venues, one in China and the other in the U.S., to allow the firm to arbitrage cryptocurrencies.Convinced he had happened upon a business, Qin moved to New York to found Virgil Capital. His strategy, he told investors, would be to exploit the tendency of cryptocurrencies to trade at different prices at various exchanges. He would be market-neutral, meaning that the firms funds wouldnt be exposed to price movements.And unlike other hedge funds, he told DigFin, Virgil wouldnt charge management fees, taking only fees based on the firms performance. We never try to make easy money, Qin said.By his telling, Virgil got off to a fast start, claiming 500% returns in 2017, which brought in more investors eager to participate. A marketing brochure boasted of 10% monthly returns -- or 2,811% over a three-year period ending in August 2019, legal filings show.His assets got an extra jolt after the Wall Street Journal profiled him in a February 2018 story that touted his skill at arbitraging cryptocurrency. Virgil experienced substantial growth as new investors flocked to the fund, prosecutors said.Missing AssetsThe first cracks appeared last summer. Some investors were becoming increasingly upset about missing assets and incomplete transfers, the former head of investor relations, Melissa Fox Murphy, said in a court declaration. (She left the firm in December.) The complaints grew.It is now MID DECEMBER and my MILLION DOLLARS IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN, wrote one investor, whose name was blacked out in court documents. Its a disgrace the way you guys are treating one of your earliest and largest investors.Around the same time, nine investors with $3.5 million in funds asked for redemptions from the firms flagship Virgil Sigma Fund LP, according to prosecutors. But there was no money to transfer. Qin had drained the Sigma Fund of its assets. The funds balances were fabricated.Instead of trading at 39 exchanges around the world, as he had claimed, Qin spent investor money on personal expenses and to invest in other undisclosed high-risk investments, including initial coin offerings, prosecutors said.So Qin tried to stall. He convinced investors instead to transfer their interests into his VQR Multistrategy Fund, another cryptocurrency fund he started in February 2020 that used a variety of trading strategies -- and still had assets.Loan SharksHe also sought to withdraw $1.7 million from the VQR fund, but that aroused suspicions from the head trader, Antonio Hallak. In a phone call Hallak recorded in December, Qin said he needed the money to repay loan sharks in China that he had borrowed from to start his business, according to court filings in a lawsuit filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. He said the loan sharks might do anything to collect on the debt and that he had a liquidity issue that prevented him from repaying them.I just had such poor cash flow management to be honest with you, Qin told Hallak. I dont have money right now dude. Its so sad.When the trader balked at the withdrawal, Qin attempted to take over the reins of VQRs accounts. But by now the SEC was involved. It got cryptocurrency exchanges to put a hold on VQRs remaining assets and, a week later, filed suit.Asset RecoveryBy the end, Qin had drained virtually all of the money that was in the Sigma Fund. A court-appointed receiver who is overseeing the fund is looking to recover assets for investors, said Nicholas Biase, a spokesman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss. About $24 million in assets in the VQR fund was frozen and should be available to disperse, he said.Stefan He Qin drained almost all of the assets from the $90 million cryptocurrency fund he owned, stealing investors money, spending it on indulgences and speculative personal investments, and lying to investors about the performance of the fund and what he had done with their money, Strauss said in a statement.In South Korea when he learned of the probe, Qin agreed to fly back to the U.S., prosecutors said. He surrendered to authorities on Feb. 4, pleaded guilty the same day before Caproni, and was freed on a $50,000 bond pending his sentencing, scheduled for May 20. While the maximum statutory penalty calls for 20 years in prison, as part of a plea deal, prosecutors agreed that he should get 151 to 188 months behind bars under federal sentencing guidelines and a fine of up to $350,000.That fate is a far cry from the career his parents had envisioned for him -- a physicist, he had told DigFin. They werent too happy when I told them I had quit uni to do this crypto thing. Who knows, maybe someday Ill complete my degree. But what I really want to do is trade crypto.The case is U.S. v Qin, 21-cr-75, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan)(Updates with comment from prosecutor and case caption)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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Global Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Vectors in Gene Therapy Market to 2030 - Insight, Epidemiology and Forecasts - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Yahoo...

Taysha Gene Therapies Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor Healthcare Conferences – Yahoo Finance

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Stefan Qin was just 19 when he claimed to have the secret to cryptocurrency trading.Buoyed with youthful confidence, Qin, a self-proclaimed math prodigy from Australia, dropped out of college in 2016 to start a hedge fund in New York he called Virgil Capital. He told potential clients he had developed an algorithm called Tenjin to monitor cryptocurrency exchanges around the world to seize on price fluctuations. A little more than a year after it started, he bragged the fund had returned 500%, a claim that produced a flurry of new money from investors.He became so flush with cash, Qin signed a lease in September 2019 for a $23,000-a-month apartment in 50 West, a 64-story luxury condo building in the financial district with expansive views of lower Manhattan as well as a pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub and golf simulator.In reality, federal prosecutors said, the operation was a lie, essentially a Ponzi scheme that stole about $90 million from more than 100 investors to help pay for Qins lavish lifestyle and personal investments in such high-risk bets as initial coin offerings. At one point, facing client demands for their money, he variously blamed poor cash flow management and loan sharks in China for his troubles. Last week, Qin, now 24 and expressing remorse, pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to a single count of securities fraud.I knew that what I was doing was wrong and illegal, he told U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who could sentence him to more than 15 years in prison. I deeply regret my actions and will spend the rest of my life atoning for what I did. I am profoundly sorry for the harm my selfish behavior has caused to my investors who trusted in me, my employees and my family.Eager InvestorsThe case echoes similar cryptocurrency frauds, such as that of BitConnect, promising people double-and triple-digit returns and costing investors billions. Ponzi schemes like that show how investors eager to cash in on a hot market can easily be led astray by promises of large returns. Canadian exchange QuadrigaCX collapsed in 2019 as a result of fraud, causing at least $125 million in losses for 76,000 investors.While regulatory oversight of the cryptocurrency industry is tightening, the sector is littered with inexperienced participants. A number of the 800 or so crypto funds worldwide are run by people with no knowledge of Wall Street or finance, including some college students and recent graduates who launched funds a few years ago.Qins path started in college, too. He had been a math whiz who planned on becoming a physicist, he told a website, DigFin, in a profile published in December, just a week before regulators closed in on him. He described himself on his LinkedIn page as a quant with a deep interest and understanding in blockchain technology.In 2016, he won acceptance into a program for high-potential entrepreneurs at the University of New South Wales in Sydney with a proposal to use blockchain technology to speed up foreign exchange transactions. He also attended the Minerva Schools, a mostly online college based in San Francisco, from August 2016 through December 2017, the school confirmed.Crypto BugHe got the crypto bug after an internship with a firm in China, he told DigFin. His task had been to build a platform between two venues, one in China and the other in the U.S., to allow the firm to arbitrage cryptocurrencies.Convinced he had happened upon a business, Qin moved to New York to found Virgil Capital. His strategy, he told investors, would be to exploit the tendency of cryptocurrencies to trade at different prices at various exchanges. He would be market-neutral, meaning that the firms funds wouldnt be exposed to price movements.And unlike other hedge funds, he told DigFin, Virgil wouldnt charge management fees, taking only fees based on the firms performance. We never try to make easy money, Qin said.By his telling, Virgil got off to a fast start, claiming 500% returns in 2017, which brought in more investors eager to participate. A marketing brochure boasted of 10% monthly returns -- or 2,811% over a three-year period ending in August 2019, legal filings show.His assets got an extra jolt after the Wall Street Journal profiled him in a February 2018 story that touted his skill at arbitraging cryptocurrency. Virgil experienced substantial growth as new investors flocked to the fund, prosecutors said.Missing AssetsThe first cracks appeared last summer. Some investors were becoming increasingly upset about missing assets and incomplete transfers, the former head of investor relations, Melissa Fox Murphy, said in a court declaration. (She left the firm in December.) The complaints grew.It is now MID DECEMBER and my MILLION DOLLARS IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN, wrote one investor, whose name was blacked out in court documents. Its a disgrace the way you guys are treating one of your earliest and largest investors.Around the same time, nine investors with $3.5 million in funds asked for redemptions from the firms flagship Virgil Sigma Fund LP, according to prosecutors. But there was no money to transfer. Qin had drained the Sigma Fund of its assets. The funds balances were fabricated.Instead of trading at 39 exchanges around the world, as he had claimed, Qin spent investor money on personal expenses and to invest in other undisclosed high-risk investments, including initial coin offerings, prosecutors said.So Qin tried to stall. He convinced investors instead to transfer their interests into his VQR Multistrategy Fund, another cryptocurrency fund he started in February 2020 that used a variety of trading strategies -- and still had assets.Loan SharksHe also sought to withdraw $1.7 million from the VQR fund, but that aroused suspicions from the head trader, Antonio Hallak. In a phone call Hallak recorded in December, Qin said he needed the money to repay loan sharks in China that he had borrowed from to start his business, according to court filings in a lawsuit filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. He said the loan sharks might do anything to collect on the debt and that he had a liquidity issue that prevented him from repaying them.I just had such poor cash flow management to be honest with you, Qin told Hallak. I dont have money right now dude. Its so sad.When the trader balked at the withdrawal, Qin attempted to take over the reins of VQRs accounts. But by now the SEC was involved. It got cryptocurrency exchanges to put a hold on VQRs remaining assets and, a week later, filed suit.Asset RecoveryBy the end, Qin had drained virtually all of the money that was in the Sigma Fund. A court-appointed receiver who is overseeing the fund is looking to recover assets for investors, said Nicholas Biase, a spokesman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss. About $24 million in assets in the VQR fund was frozen and should be available to disperse, he said.Stefan He Qin drained almost all of the assets from the $90 million cryptocurrency fund he owned, stealing investors money, spending it on indulgences and speculative personal investments, and lying to investors about the performance of the fund and what he had done with their money, Strauss said in a statement.In South Korea when he learned of the probe, Qin agreed to fly back to the U.S., prosecutors said. He surrendered to authorities on Feb. 4, pleaded guilty the same day before Caproni, and was freed on a $50,000 bond pending his sentencing, scheduled for May 20. While the maximum statutory penalty calls for 20 years in prison, as part of a plea deal, prosecutors agreed that he should get 151 to 188 months behind bars under federal sentencing guidelines and a fine of up to $350,000.That fate is a far cry from the career his parents had envisioned for him -- a physicist, he had told DigFin. They werent too happy when I told them I had quit uni to do this crypto thing. Who knows, maybe someday Ill complete my degree. But what I really want to do is trade crypto.The case is U.S. v Qin, 21-cr-75, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan)(Updates with comment from prosecutor and case caption)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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Taysha Gene Therapies Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor Healthcare Conferences - Yahoo Finance

Amicus Therapeutics Presents Positive Preclinical Fabry Disease Gene Therapy Data at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium 2021 – GlobeNewswire

Amicus Optimized Transgene Show Greater Substrate Reduction than Wild Type Construct Across All Tissues and Doses

Further Validates Combining Amicus-Engineered Transgenes with Penns AAV Gene Therapy Technologies to Develop Next Generation Gene Therapies

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amicus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: FOLD) today announced initial preclinical data from its investigational adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapy program for Fabry disease in mice. The results are featured in a virtual poster presentation at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium 2021, being held February 8-12, 2021. The poster is also available in the Events and Presentations section of the Amicus Therapeutics corporate website.

Fabry disease is an inherited lysosomal disorder caused by deficiency of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A (GLA). Reduced or absent levels of GLA lead to accumulation of disease substrate leading to cellular disfunction and organ damage, which results in the clinical manifestations of Fabry disease. Amicus, in collaboration with the Gene Therapy Program of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), is developing a novel gene therapy for Fabry disease that combines the Amicus protein-engineering expertise and deep knowledge and experience in Fabry disease with Penns adeno associated virus (AAV) gene transfer technologies.

This initial preclinical study assessed a range of single doses of AAV in Gla knockout (KO) mice with either natural unmodified hGLA (wildtype hGLA) or Amicus/Penn engineered hGLA transgenes (engineered hGLA). The Amicus/Penn engineered hGLAs are designed for improved stability which is believed to provide a larger window for the enzyme to stay active while in circulation prior to being taken up into the target tissues and for additional stabilization after cell uptake. The lead Amicus/Penn engineered hGLA declared as an IND candidate is designated as AT-GTX-701.

Preclinical Poster Highlights for Amicus/Penn AAV Gene Therapy for Fabry Disease:

Hung Do, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of Amicus Therapeutics, stated, These very important preclinical results validate our capabilities to develop engineered proteins via a gene therapy that can result in superior substrate reduction compared with a wildtype transgene. This is the second program in our collaboration with Penn that has demonstrated the potential advantages of optimizing the target protein in these disorders, and may be applicable to other lysosomal disorders as we continue to combine our understanding of the molecular basis of these diseases and expertise in protein engineering, together with Penns vector engineering expertise, to develop novel gene therapies.

Amicus is currently developing AAV gene therapies in collaboration with Penn for Pompe disease, Fabry disease, CDD, CLN1, MPS IIIB, a next generation program in MPS IIIA, as well as Angelman Syndrome. The agreement between Amicus and Penn is a Research, Collaboration and License Agreement, providing funding to Penn to advance the preclinical research programs in the Wilson Lab and to license certain technologies invented under the funded Research Collaboration.

About Fabry DiseaseFabry disease is an inherited lysosomal disorder caused by deficiency of an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A), which is the result of mutations in the GLA gene. The primary biological function of alpha-Gal A is to degrade specific lipids in lysosomes, including globotriaosylceramide (referred to here as GL-3 and also known as Gb3). Lipids that can be degraded by the action of alpha-Gal A are called "substrates" of the enzyme. Reduced or absent levels of alpha-Gal A activity lead to the accumulation of GL-3 in the affected tissues, including the central nervous system, heart, kidneys, and skin. Progressive accumulation of GL-3 is believed to lead to the morbidity and mortality of Fabry disease, including pain, kidney failure, heart disease, and stroke. The symptoms can be severe, differ from patient to patient, and begin at an early age. All Fabry disease is progressive and may lead to irreversible organ damage regardless of the time of symptom onset.

About Amicus Therapeutics Amicus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: FOLD) is a global, patient-dedicated biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and delivering novel high-quality medicines for people living with rare metabolic diseases. With extraordinary patient focus, Amicus Therapeutics is committed to advancing and expanding a robust pipeline of cutting-edge, first- or best-in-class medicines for rare metabolic diseases. For more information please visit the companys website at http://www.amicusrx.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to initial preclinical data from its investigational adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapy program for Fabry disease in mice and the potential implications of these data for the future advancement and development of a gene therapy for Fabry disease and other lysosomal disorders and development of potential platform technologies. Words such as, but not limited to, look forward to, believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, intend, "confidence," "encouraged," potential, plan, targets, likely, may, will, would, should and could, and similar expressions or words identify forward-looking statements. The forward looking statements included in this press release are based on management's current expectations and belief's which are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and factors, including that the preliminary data reported before completion of the study will not be predictive of future results, that results of additional preliminary data or data from the completed study or any future study will not yield results that are consistent with the preliminary data presented, that later study results will not support further development, or even if such later results are favorable, that the Company will not be able to successfully complete the development of, obtain regulatory approval for, or successfully commercialize. In addition, all forward looking statements are subject to the other risks and uncertainties detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the Quarterly Report filed on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in this press release. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements, which speak only of the date hereof. All forward looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and we undertake no obligation to revise this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

CONTACTS:

Investors:Andrew FaughnanSr. Director, Investor Relationsafaughnan@amicusrx.com(609) 662-3809

Media:Diana MooreHead of Global Corporate Communicationsdmoore@amicusrx.com(609) 662-5079

FOLDG

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Amicus Therapeutics Presents Positive Preclinical Fabry Disease Gene Therapy Data at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium 2021 - GlobeNewswire

Paragon Biosciences Expands Cell And Gene Therapy Platform – Contract Pharma

Paragon Biosciences, a life science innovator that creates, invests in and builds life science companies in biopharmaceuticals, cell and gene therapy and synthetic biology utilizing artificial intelligence, has launched CiRC Biosciences, a cell therapy company developing treatments for serious diseases with high, unmet needs with an initial focus on the eye."The addition of CiRC Biosciences to our portfolio builds upon our cell and gene therapy platform, an area that has tremendous potential to address serious genetic diseases," said Jeff Aronin, founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Paragon Biosciences. "CiRC Biosciences gives us the science to target retinal diseases that could lead to vision restoration with numerous other applications in the years ahead."CiRC Biosciences is currently advancing pre-clinical development of chemically induced retinal cells for vision restoration in Geographic Atrophy Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD), which is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss over the age of 65, and advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a genetic disorder that causes tunnel vision and eventual blindness. There are no U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatments to restore vision loss in Dry AMD or RP.The company's novel mechanism of action is designed for direct chemical conversion of fibroblasts into other cell types using a cocktail of small molecules in an 11-day chemical conversion process. Pre-clinical studies have shown efficacy in blind mice that demonstrated vision restoration. CiRC Biosciences has provisional patent applications to protect its platform."Our technology transforms ordinary skin cells into specialized retinal cells using a cocktail of small molecules," said Sai Chavala, M.D., co-founder and chief scientific officer, CiRC Biosciences. "This process is potentially safer, quicker, more cost effective and easier to manufacturer than using traditional stem cells. Working with Paragon Biosciences to build and advance CiRC Biosciences provides us the opportunity to efficiently progress this technology through research and development stages.CiRC Biosciences first reported its discovery in the highly respected scientific journal Nature (April 15, 2020). A recently published New England Journal of Medicine article (Nov. 5, 2020) discussed CiRC's technology of using chemically induced cells to restore retinal function. The article concluded, "The new and emerging strategies for the rescue, regeneration, and replacement of photoreceptors suggest a bright future in the fight to preserve and restore vision in blinding eye diseases."The abstract in Nature is available here.Access to the NEJM article is available here.

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Paragon Biosciences Expands Cell And Gene Therapy Platform - Contract Pharma

Gene Therapy Market by Therapeutic Approach, Type of Gene Therapy, Type of Vectors Used, Therapeutic Areas, Route of Administration, and Key…

New York, Feb. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Gene Therapy Market by Therapeutic Approach, Type of Gene Therapy, Type of Vectors Used, Therapeutic Areas, Route of Administration, and Key Geographical Regions: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2020-2030" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06020737/?utm_source=GNW Considering the current pace of research and product development activity in this field, experts believe that the number of clinical research initiatives involving gene therapies are likely to grow by 17% annually. In this context, the USFDA released a notification, mentioning that it now expects to receive twice as many gene therapy applications each year, starting 2020. Despite the ongoing pandemic, it is worth highlighting that gene therapy companies raised approximately USD 5.5 billion in capital investments, in 2020 alone. This is indicative of the promising therapeutic potential of this emerging class of pharmacological interventions, which has led investors to bet heavily on the success of different gene therapy candidates in the long term.

Several technology platforms are currently available for discovery and development of various types of gene therapies. In fact, advances in bioanalytical methods (such as genome sequencing), and genome editing and manipulation technologies (such as molecular switches), have enabled the development of novel therapy development tools / platforms. In fact, technology licensing is a lucrative source of income for stakeholders in this industry, particularly for those with proprietary gene editing platforms. Given the growing demand for interventions that focus on the amelioration of the underlying (genetic) causes of diseases, it is expected that the gene therapy pipeline will continue to steadily expand. Moreover, promising results from ongoing clinical research initiatives are likely to bring in more investments to support therapy product development initiatives in this domain. Therefore, we are led to believe that the global gene therapy market is poised to witness significant growth in the foreseen future.

SCOPE OF THE REPORT The Gene Therapy Market (4th Edition) by Therapeutic Approach (Gene Augmentation, Oncolytic Viral Therapy, Immunotherapy and Others), Type of Gene Therapy (Ex vivo and In vivo), Type of Vectors used (Adeno Associated Virus, Adenovirus, Herpes Simplex Virus, Lentivirus, Plasmid DNA, Retrovirus and Others), Target Therapeutic Areas (Autoimmune Disorders, Cardiovascular Diseases, Dermatological Disorders, Genetic Disorders, Hematological Disorders, Metabolic Disorders, Muscle-related Diseases, Oncological Disorders, Ophthalmic Diseases and Others), Route of Administration (Intraarticular, Intracerebellar, Intradermal, Intramuscular, Intratumoral, Intravenous, Intravesical, Intravitreal, Subretinal and Others), and Key Geographical Regions (US, EU5 and rest of the world): Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2020-2030 report features an extensive study of the current market landscape of gene therapies, primarily focusing on gene augmentation-based therapies, oncolytic viral therapies, immunotherapies and gene editing therapies. The study also features an elaborate discussion on the future potential of this evolving market.

Amongst other elements, the report features: - A detailed review of the overall market landscape of gene therapies and gene editing therapies, including information on phase of development (marketed, clinical, preclinical and discovery) of pipeline candidates, key therapeutic areas (autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, dermatological disorders, genetic disorders, hematological disorders, immunological disorders, infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders, liver diseases, metabolic disorders, muscle-related diseases, nervous system disorders, oncological disorders, ophthalmic diseases and others), target disease indication(s), type of vector used, type of gene, therapeutic approach (gene augmentation, oncolytic viral therapy and others), type of gene therapy (ex vivo and in vivo), route of administration and special drug designation(s) awarded (if any). - A detailed review of the players engaged in the development of gene therapies, along with information on their year of establishment, company size, location of headquarters, regional landscape and key players engaged in this domain. - An elaborate discussion on the various types of viral and non-viral vectors, along with information on design, manufacturing requirements, advantages and limitations of currently available gene delivery vectors. - A discussion on the regulatory landscape related to gene therapies across various geographies, namely North America (the US and Canada), Europe and Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea), providing details related to the various challenges associated with obtaining reimbursements for gene therapies. - Detailed profiles of marketed and late stage (phase II/III and above) gene therapies, including development timeline of the therapy, information on the current development status, mechanism of action, affiliated technology, strength of patent portfolio, dosage and manufacturing details, as well as details related to the developer company. - An elaborate discussion on the various commercialization strategies that can be adopted by drug developers across different stages of therapy development, including prior to drug launch, at / during drug launch and post-marketing. - A review of the various emerging technologies and therapy development platforms that are being used to design and manufacture gene therapies, featuring detailed profiles of technologies that were / are being used for the development of four or more products / product candidates. - An in-depth analysis of various patents that have been filed / granted related to gene therapies and gene editing therapies, since 2016. The analysis assesses several relevant parameters associated with the patents, including type of patent (granted patents, patent applications and others), publication year, regional applicability, CPC symbols, emerging focus areas, leading industry players (in terms of the number of patents filed / granted), and patent valuation. - A detailed analysis of the various mergers and acquisitions that have taken place within this domain, during the period 2015-2020, based on several relevant parameters, such as year of agreement, type of deal, geographical location of the companies involved, key value drivers, highest phase of development of the acquired company product and target therapeutic area. - An analysis of the investments made at various stages of development in companies that are focused in this area, between 2015-2020, including seed financing, venture capital financing, IPOs, secondary offerings, debt financing, grants and other equity offerings. - A detailed geographical clinical trial analysis of completed, ongoing and planned studies of numerous gene therapies, based on various relevant parameters, such as trial registration year, trial status, trial phase, target therapeutic area, geography, type of sponsor, prominent treatment sites and enrolled patient population. - An analysis of the various factors that are likely to influence the pricing of gene therapies, featuring different models / approaches that may be adopted by manufacturers to decide the prices of these therapies. - An analysis of the big biopharma players engaged in this domain, featuring a heat map based on parameters, such as number of gene therapies under development, funding information, partnership activity and strength of patent portfolio. - An informed estimate of the annual demand for gene therapies, taking into account the marketed gene-based therapies and clinical studies evaluating gene therapies; the analysis also takes into consideration various relevant parameters, such as target patient population, dosing frequency and dose strength. - A case study on the prevalent and emerging trends related to vector manufacturing, along with information on companies offering contract services for manufacturing vectors. The study also includes a detailed discussion on the manufacturing processes associated with various types of vectors. - A discussion on the various operating models adopted by gene therapy developers for supply chain management, highlighting the stakeholders involved, factors affecting the supply of therapeutic products and challenges encountered by developers across the different stages of the gene therapy supply chain.

One of the key objectives of the report was to estimate the existing market size and the future opportunity associated with gene therapies, for the next decade. Based on multiple parameters, such as target patient population, likely adoption rates and expected pricing, we have provided informed estimates on the evolution of the market for the period 2020-2030. The report also features the likely distribution of the current and forecasted opportunity across [A] therapeutic approach (gene augmentation, oncolytic viral therapy, immunotherapy and others), [B] type of gene therapy (ex vivo and in vivo), [C] type of vectors used (adeno associated virus, adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, lentivirus, plasmid DNA, retrovirus and others), [D] target therapeutic areas (autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, dermatological disorders, genetic disorders, hematological disorders, metabolic disorders, muscle-related diseases, oncological disorders, ophthalmic diseases and others), [E] route of administration (intraarticular, intracerebellar, intradermal, intramuscular, intratumoral, intravenous, intravesical, intravitreal, subretinal and others), and [F] key geographical regions (US, EU5 and rest of the world). In order to account for future uncertainties and to add robustness to our model, we have provided three market forecast scenarios, namely conservative, base and optimistic scenarios, representing different tracks of the industrys growth.

The opinions and insights presented in this study were influenced by discussions conducted with multiple stakeholders in this domain. The report features detailed transcripts of interviews held with the following individuals: - Adam Rogers (CEO, Hemera Biosciences) - Al Hawkins (CEO, Milo Biotechnology) - Buel Dan Rodgers (Founder & CEO, AAVogen) - Christopher Reinhard (CEO and Chairman, Gene Therapeutics (previously known as Cardium Therapeutics)) - Michael Triplett (CEO, Myonexus Therapeutics) - Robert Jan Lamers (CEO, Arthrogen) - Ryo Kubota (CEO, Chairman & President, Acucela) - Tom Wilton (CBO, LogicBio Therapeutics) - Jeffrey Hung (CCO, Vigene Biosciences) - Cedric Szpirer (Executive & Scientific Director, Delphi Genetics) - Marco Schmeer (Project Manager) & Tatjana Buchholz (Marketing Manager, PlasmidFactory) - Molly Cameron (Corporate Communications Manager, Orchard Therapeutics)

All actual figures have been sourced and analyzed from publicly available information forums and primary research discussions. Financial figures mentioned in this report are in USD, unless otherwise specified.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The data presented in this report has been gathered via secondary and primary research. For all our projects, we conduct interviews with experts in the area (academia, industry, medical practice and other associations) to solicit their opinions on emerging trends in the market. This is primarily useful for us to draw out our own opinion on how the market will evolve across different regions and technology segments. Where possible, the available data has been checked for accuracy from multiple sources of information.

The secondary sources of information include - Annual reports - Investor presentations - SEC filings - Industry databases - News releases from company websites - Government policy documents - Industry analysts views

While the focus has been on forecasting the market over the coming decade, the report also provides our independent view on various emerging trends in the industry. This opinion is solely based on our knowledge, research and understanding of the relevant market, gathered from various secondary and primary sources of information.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED - Who are the leading industry players engaged in the development of gene therapies? - How many gene therapy candidates are present in the current development pipeline? Which key disease indications are targeted by such products? - Which types of vectors are most commonly used for effective delivery of gene therapies? - What are the key regulatory requirements for gene therapy approval, across various geographies? - Which commercialization strategies are most commonly adopted by gene therapy developers, across different stages of development? - What are the different pricing models and reimbursement strategies currently being adopted for gene therapies? - What are the various technology platforms that are either available in the market or are being designed for the development of gene therapies? - Who are the key CMOs / CDMOs engaged in supplying viral / plasmid vectors for gene therapy development? - What are the key value drivers of the merger and acquisition activity in the gene therapy industry? - Who are the key stakeholders that have actively made investments in the gene therapy domain? - Which are the most active trial sites (in terms of number of clinical studies being conducted) related to this domain? - How is the current and future market opportunity likely to be distributed across key market segments?

CHAPTER OUTLINES Chapter 2 provides an executive summary of the key insights captured in our research. It offers a high-level view on the current state of the market for gene therapies and its likely evolution in the short-mid term and long term.

Chapter 3 provides a general overview of gene therapies, including a discussion on their historical background. It further highlights the different types of gene therapies (namely somatic and germline therapies, and in vivo and ex vivo therapies), potential application areas of such products and route of administration of these therapeutic interventions. In addition, it provides information on the concept of gene editing, highlighting key historical milestones, applications and various techniques used for gene editing. The also chapter includes a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages associated with gene therapies. Further, it features a brief discussion on the ethical and social concerns related to gene therapies, while highlighting future constraints and challenges related to the manufacturing and commercial viability of such product candidates.

Chapter 4 provides a general introduction to the various types of viral and non-viral gene delivery vectors. It includes a detailed discussion on the design, manufacturing requirements, advantages and limitations of currently available vectors.

Chapter 5 features a detailed discussion on the regulatory landscape related to gene therapies across various geographies, such as the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. Further, it highlights an emerging concept of reimbursement which was recently adopted by multiple gene therapy developers, along with a discussion on several issues associated with reimbursement of gene therapies.

Chapter 6 includes information on over 800 gene therapies and gene editing therapies that are currently approved or are in different stages of development. It features a detailed analysis of pipeline molecules, based on several relevant parameters, such as key therapeutic areas (autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, dermatological disorders, genetic disorders, hematological disorders, immunological disorders, infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders, liver diseases, metabolic disorders, muscle-related diseases, nervous system disorders, oncological disorders, ophthalmic diseases and others), target disease indication(s), phase of development (marketed, clinical, preclinical and discovery), type of vector used, type of gene, type of gene therapy (ex vivo and in vivo), therapeutic approach (gene augmentation, oncolytic viral therapy and others), route of administration and special drug designation (if any). Further, we have presented a grid analysis of gene therapies based on phase of development, therapeutic area and therapeutic approach.

Chapter 7 provides a detailed review of the players engaged in the development of gene therapies, along with information on their year of establishment, company size, location of headquarters, regional landscape and key players engaged in this domain. Further, we have presented a logo landscape of product developers in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region on the basis of company size.

Chapter 8 provides detailed profiles of marketed gene therapies. Each profile includes information about the innovator company, its product pipeline (focused on gene therapy only), development timeline of the therapy, its mechanism of action, target indication, current status of development, details related to manufacturing, dosage and sales, the companys patent portfolio and collaborations focused on its gene therapy product / technology.

Chapter 9 features an elaborate discussion on the various strategies that can be adopted by therapy developers across key commercialization stages, including prior to drug launch, during drug launch and post-launch. In addition, it presents an in-depth analysis of the key commercialization strategies that have been adopted by developers of gene therapies approved during the period 2015-2020.

Chapter 10 provides detailed profiles of drugs that are in advanced stages of clinical development (phase II/III and above). Each drug profile provides information on the current developmental status of the drug, its route of administration, developers, primary target indication, special drug designation received, target gene, dosage, mechanism of action, technology, patent portfolio, clinical trials and collaborations (if any).

Chapter 11 provides a list of technology platforms that are either available in the market or in the process of being designed for the development of gene therapies. In addition, it features brief profiles of some of the key technologies. Each profile features details on the various pipeline molecules that have been / are being developed using the technology, its advantages and the partnerships that have been established related to the technology platform. Further, the chapter includes detailed discussions on various novel and innovative technologies, along with brief information about key technology providers.

Chapter 12 highlights the potential target indications (segregated by therapeutic areas) that are currently the prime focus of companies developing gene therapies. These include genetic disorders, metabolic disorders, nervous system disorders, oncological disorders and ophthalmic diseases.

Chapter 13 provides an overview of the various patents that have been filed / granted in relation to gene therapy and gene editing technologies. It also features a detailed analysis, highlighting the prevalent trends related to type of patent, publication year, regional applicability, CPC symbols, emerging areas and leading industry players (in terms of number of patents filed). In addition, it features a competitive benchmarking analysis of the patent portfolios of leading industry players and patent valuation. For the purpose of this analysis, we have taken into consideration patents that have been filed / granted since 2016.

Chapter 14 features a detailed analysis of the various mergers and acquisitions that have taken place within this domain, during the period 2015-2020, based on several relevant parameters, such as year of agreement, type of deal, geographical location of the companies involved, key value drivers, highest phase of development of the acquired company product and target therapeutic area.

Chapter 15 presents details on various funding instances, investments and grants reported within the gene therapy domain. The chapter includes information on various types of investments (such as venture capital financing, debt financing, grants, capital raised from IPO and subsequent offerings) received by the companies between 2015 and 2020, highlighting the growing interest of the venture capital community and other strategic investors in this market.

Chapter 16 presents a detailed, geographical clinical trial analysis of completed, ongoing and planned studies focused on gene therapies, based on various relevant parameters, such as trial registration year, trial status, trial phase, target therapeutic area, geography, type of sponsor, prominent treatment sites and enrolled patient population.

Chapter 17 highlights our views on the various factors that may be taken into consideration while deciding the price of a gene therapy. It features discussions on different pricing models / approaches, based on the size of the target population, which a pharmaceutical company may choose to adopt in order to decide the price of its proprietary products.

Chapter 18 highlights top big biopharma players engaged in the field of gene therapy, featuring a heat map analysis based on several parameters, including therapeutic area, type of vector used, therapeutic approach and type of gene therapy.

Chapter 19 features an informed estimate of the annual demand for gene therapies, taking into account the marketed gene-based therapies and clinical studies evaluating gene therapies; the analysis also takes into consideration various relevant parameters, such as target patient population, dosing frequency and dose strength.

Chapter 20 presents an elaborate market forecast analysis, highlighting the future potential of the market till the year 2030. It also includes future sales projections of gene therapies that are either marketed or in advanced stages of clinical development (phase II/III and above). Sales potential and growth opportunity were estimated based on the target patient population, likely adoption rates, existing / future competition from other drug classes and the likely price of products. The chapter also presents a detailed market segmentation on the basis of [A] therapeutic approach (gene augmentation, oncolytic viral therapy, immunotherapy and others), [B] type of gene therapy (ex vivo and in vivo), [C] type of vector used (adeno associated virus, adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, lentivirus, plasmid DNA, retrovirus and others), [D] target therapeutic area (autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, dermatological disorders, genetic disorders, hematological disorders, metabolic disorders, muscle-related diseases, oncological disorders, ophthalmic diseases and others), [E] route of administration (intraarticular, intracerebellar, intradermal, intramuscular, intratumoral, intravenous, intravesical, intravitreal, subretinal and others), and [F] key geographical regions (US, EU5 and rest of the world).

Chapter 21 provides insights on viral vector manufacturing, highlighting the steps and processes related to manufacturing and bioprocessing of vectors. In addition, it features the challenges that exist in this domain. Further, the chapter provides details on various players that offer contract manufacturing services for viral and plasmid vectors.

Chapter 22 provides a glimpse of the gene therapy supply chain. It discusses the steps for implementing a robust model and provides information related to the global regulations for supply chain. Moreover, the chapter discusses the challenges associated with supply chain of gene therapies. In addition, it features the technological solutions that can be adopted for the management of gene therapy supply chain.

Chapter 23 summarizes the overall report, wherein we have mentioned all the key facts and figures described in the previous chapters. The chapter also highlights important evolutionary trends that were identified during the course of the study and are expected to influence the future of the gene therapy market.

Chapter 24 is a collection of interview transcripts of the discussions that were held with key stakeholders in this market. The chapter provides details of interviews held with Adam Rogers (CEO, Hemera Biosciences), Al Hawkins (CEO, Milo Biotechnology), Buel Dan Rodgers (Founder & CEO, AAVogen), Christopher Reinhard (CEO & Chairman, Gene Therapeutics (previously known as Cardium Therapeutics)), Michael Triplett (CEO, Myonexus Therapeutics), Robert Jan Lamers (CEO, Arthrogen), Ryo Kubota (CEO, Chairman & President, Acucela), Tom Wilton (CBO, LogicBio Therapeutics), Jeffrey Hung (CCO, Vigene Biosciences), Cedric Szpirer (Executive & Scientific Director, Delphi Genetics), Marco Schmeer (Project Manager) & Tatjana Buchholz (Marketing Manager, PlasmidFactory) and Molly Cameron (Corporate Communications Manager, Orchard Therapeutics). In addition, a brief profile of each company has been provided.

Chapter 25 is an appendix, which provides tabulated data and numbers for all the figures included in the report.

Chapter 26 is an appendix, which contains a list of companies and organizations mentioned in this report.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06020737/?utm_source=GNW

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Gene Therapy Market by Therapeutic Approach, Type of Gene Therapy, Type of Vectors Used, Therapeutic Areas, Route of Administration, and Key...

FDA Clears IND Application for Passage Bio’s Gene Therapy Candidate PBKR03 for Treatment of Patients with Early Infantile Krabbe Disease, A Rare…

DetailsCategory: DNA RNA and CellsPublished on Monday, 08 February 2021 16:09Hits: 438

- Phase 1/2 trial expected to commence in first half of 2021

- Company has three INDs cleared for rare monogenic CNS disorders

PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA I February 08, 2021 I Passage Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: PASG), a genetic medicines company focused on developing transformative therapies for rare monogenic central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an investigational new drug (IND) application for PBKR03, an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-delivery gene therapy being studied for the treatment of early infantile Krabbe disease (Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy). Currently, there are no approved disease-modifying therapies available for Krabbe disease, a rare lysosomal storage disease that most often presents early in a childs life, resulting in rapid progressive damage to both the brain and peripheral nervous system and mortality by two years of age. Underscoring the urgent medical need in the patient population, the FDA has previously granted Passage Bio both Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease designations for PBKR03 for treatment in Krabbe disease.

As part of our commitment to deliver a transformative, one-time gene therapy to the children and their families who suffer from the devastating effects of Krabbe disease, we are excited to advance toward clinically evaluating the potential life-changing benefits of PBKR03, said Bruce Goldsmith, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Passage Bio. The FDA clearance of our IND for PBKR03 is an important milestone for Passage Bio, paving the way for the start of our third clinical program in rare monogenic CNS disorders in the first half of 2021. Having solidified our clinical trial preparedness and manufacturing readiness during the past year, we are well-positioned to move with urgency to advance PBKR03 into the clinic.

PBKR03 utilizes a next-generation proprietary AAV capsid to deliver, through intra-cisterna magna (ICM) administration, a functional GALC gene to Krabbe patients with mutations in the gene that codes for galactosylceramidase (GAL-C). Low GAL-C activity results in accumulation of psychosine which is toxic to the myelin-producing oligodendrocytes of the CNS and Schwann cells in the periphery, resulting in damage to both the central and peripheral nervous systems. PBKR03 has the potential to treat both the central nervous system and peripheral nerve manifestations observed in Krabbe disease patients.

Compelling preclinical data support advancement into clinical trials

PBKR03 is supported by extensive preclinical studies, conducted by our collaborator, the University of Pennsylvanias Gene Therapy Program, showing meaningful transduction of both the central and peripheral nervous system in animal models, with restoration of myelination in the brain and peripheral nerves. In a naturally occurring Krabbe animal model, a single ICM injection of an AAVhu68 capsid containing the normal canine GALC gene showed normalization of GALC activity, reduction of cerebral spinal fluid psychosine levels, normalization of peripheral nerve conduction velocity, improvement in brain myelination, reduction in brain inflammation and increased survival.

Phase 1/2 study anticipated for 1H21

Passage Bio expects to initiate a Phase1/2 clinical trial for PBKR03 in the first half of 2021. The trial is designed as a dose escalation study of a single ICM dose of PBKR03 in pediatric subjects with early infantile Krabbe disease. The primary endpoint of the Phase 1/2 study is safety and tolerability; secondary endpoints include CSF and serum GALC levels, disease biomarkers, and clinical outcome measures. Initial data from the trial is anticipated to potentially readout in late 2021 or early 2022, depending on the timing of when the first patient is treated in the study.

PENN Financial Disclosure

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and its Gene Therapy Program receives sponsored research funding from Passage Bio, and Penn has licensed intellectual property to Passage Bio that may result in future financial returns to Penn.

About Krabbe Disease

Krabbe disease is a rare and often life-threatening lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the GALC gene, which encodes galactosylceramidase, an enzyme that breaks down galactosylceramide and psychosine. Without adequate levels of galactosylceramidase, psychosine accumulates, causing widespread death of myelin-producing cells and progressive damage to nerves in both the brain and peripheral tissues. The early infantile form of the disease is the most severe and common, typically manifesting before six months of age and accounting for 60 percent to 70 percent of diagnoses. In these patients, the disease course is highly predictable and rapidly progresses to include loss of acquired milestones, staring episodes, apnea, peripheral neuropathy, severe weakness, unresponsiveness to stimuli, seizures, blindness, deafness and eventual death by two years of age. Late infantile patients, defined by onset between seven to twelve months of age, present similar symptoms and have a median survival of approximately five years from onset of symptoms. The estimated worldwide incidence of Krabbe disease is 2.6 in 100,000 births, which is higher than reported due to lack of adequate screening at birth.

About Passage Bio

At Passage Bio (Nasdaq: PASG), we are on a mission to provide life-transforming gene therapies for patients with rare, monogenic CNS diseases that replace their suffering with boundless possibility, all while building lasting relationships with the communities we serve. Based in Philadelphia, PA, our company has established a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with the renowned University of Pennsylvanias Gene Therapy Program to conduct our discovery and IND-enabling preclinical work. This provides our team with enhanced access to a broad portfolio of gene therapy candidates and future gene therapy innovations that we then pair with our deep clinical, regulatory, manufacturing and commercial expertise to rapidly advance our robust pipeline of optimized gene therapies into clinical testing. As we work with speed and tenacity, we are always mindful of patients who may be able to benefit from our therapies. More information is available at http://www.passagebio.com.

SOURCE: Passage Bio

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FDA Clears IND Application for Passage Bio's Gene Therapy Candidate PBKR03 for Treatment of Patients with Early Infantile Krabbe Disease, A Rare...