Follow-on collaboration between ViGeneron and Daiichi Sankyo allows the companies to create and validate vgAAV-based therapeutic candidates

ViGeneron and Daiichi Sankyo have agreed to a follow-on collaboration to evaluate ViGeneron’s adeno-associated virus vectors (vGAAVs) for delivering Daiichi Sankyo’s novel therapeutic protein to treat prevalent eye diseases.

The two companies have been working on a programme together since early 2021. The follow-on collaboration allows them to create and validate vgAAV-based therapeutic candidates for the undisclosed target through in vivoanimal studies.

ViGeneron’s two novel vgAAV vectors were identified and characterised through a unique and stringent in vivoselection procedure, where an AAV2-based peptide-display library was intravenously administered in mouse models followed by the isolation of vector DNA from target cells after only 24 hours.

“Based on our partnership and findings, to date, we look forward to a successful follow-on collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo and potentially to developing a new sustained therapy that will address a dire need for many patients suffering from prevalent eye diseases,” commented Dr Caroline Man Xu, co-founder and CEO of ViGeneron.

“Furthermore, the advancement of our research agreement exemplifies the potential of our intravitreally injected vgAAV vectors for large and commercially significant disease areas,” she added.

ViGeneron is currently advancing its proprietary gene therapy pipeline to treat ophthalmic diseases while partnering with leading biopharmaceutical players in retinal diseases, central nervous system conditions and other disease areas. The company’s two novel next-generation gene therapy platforms are geared towards addressing the limitations of existing adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies.