MeiraGTx Enters Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation to Develop Regulatable Gene Therapy Treatment using MeiraGTx ...
October 16 2018 - 8:00AM
MeiraGTx Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:MGTX), a vertically integrated,
clinical stage gene therapy company, today announced that it has
entered into a research collaboration and evaluation agreement with
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Janssen), one of the Janssen
Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. The agreement
was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC. As part of
the agreement, MeiraGTx will use their proprietary riboswitch
technology to engineer regulatable gene therapy constructs encoding
proprietary gene sequences from Janssen. Evaluation of the
performance of these constructs will determine the utility of this
approach in future product development.
MeiraGTx’s gene regulation platform is a potentially
transformative technology that incorporates an on/off switch for
gene expression into the gene therapy vector which can then be
activated using a small molecule. In this way, gene therapies can
be switched on and off according to the patients’ need and the
dosing requirements of the therapy. Temporal control overlaying
spatial regulation of gene expression has the potential to increase
the utility and flexibility of gene therapy.
“We are excited to collaborate with the Janssen team on the next
stage of development of our riboswitch technology, which has the
potential to transform the field of gene therapy. Our gene
regulation platform, based on RNA structure, was invented and
developed entirely in-house at MeiraGTx and is a reflection of our
commitment to ground-breaking science,” said Alexandria
Forbes, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer
of MeiraGTx.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About MeiraGTx MeiraGTx (NASDAQ:MGTX)
is a vertically integrated, clinical stage gene therapy company
with four ongoing clinical programs and a broad pipeline of
preclinical and research programs. MeiraGTx has core
capabilities in viral vector design and optimization and gene
therapy manufacturing, as well as a potentially transformative gene
regulation technology. Led by an experienced management
team, MeiraGTx has taken a portfolio approach by
licensing, acquiring and developing technologies that give depth
across both product candidates and indications. MeiraGTx’s initial
focus is on three distinct areas of unmet medical need: inherited
retinal diseases, severe forms of xerostomia and neurodegenerative
diseases. Though initially focusing on the eye, salivary gland and
central nervous system, MeiraGTx intends to expand its
focus in the future to develop additional gene therapy treatments
for patients suffering from a range of serious diseases.
For more information, please visit www.meiragtx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements
contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of
historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements,
including, without limitation, statements regarding our development
of regulatable gene therapy constructs with gene sequences from
Janssen, as well as statements that include the words “expect,”
“intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimate,”
“may,” “should,” “anticipate” and similar statements of a future or
forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are based
on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither
promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual
results, performance or achievements to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not
limited to, our incurrence of significant losses; any
inability to achieve or maintain profitability, acquire additional
capital, identify additional and develop existing product
candidates, continue operating as a going concern, successfully
execute strategic priorities, bring product candidates to market,
build-out the manufacturing facility and processes, successfully
enroll patients in and complete clinical trials, accurately predict
growth assumptions, recognize benefits of any orphan drug
designations, retain key personnel or attract qualified employees,
or incur expected levels of operating expenses; failure of early
data to predict eventual outcomes; failure to
obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for product
candidates within expected time frames or at all; the novel nature
and impact of negative public opinion of gene therapy; failure to
comply with ongoing regulatory obligations; contamination or
shortage of raw materials; changes in healthcare laws; risks
associated with our international operations; significant
competition in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries;
dependence on third parties; risks related to intellectual
property; litigation risks; and the other important factors
discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30,
2018 as such factors may be updated from time to time in our
other filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov. These and other important factors
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press
release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s
estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect
to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the
future, unless required by law, we disclaim any obligation to do
so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. Thus, one
should not assume that our silence over time means that actual
events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should
not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date
subsequent to the date of this press release.
Contacts Investors: MeiraGTx
Investors@meiragtx.com
or
Media: W2O pure Kelly Boothe, Ph.D. (415) 946-1076
kboothe@w2ogroup.com
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