The technology consists of a library of 100 novel adeno associated viral vectors (AAV) developed by Regenxbio for gene therapy delivery applications.
Under the license, financial terms of which were not made public, Biogen can select vectors for two rare genetic vision disease therapies it is developing.
Once Biogen has chosen the research license will convert to a commercial agreement under which Regenxbio will receive development milestones and sales royalties if the products are approved.
Regenxbio CEO Kenneth T. Mills said: “This license agreement provides new validation of the potential of our NAV Technology Platform in ocular indications and is an important step in advancing NAV-based gene therapies to people suffering from rare genetic vision disorders.”
This was echoed by Olivier Danos, Biogen’s senior vice president of cell and gene therapy, who said the technology “will enable us to expand our pipeline of treatments with the potential to improve health outcomes in diseases of the eye.”
Tech licensing
Biogen is the first new technology licensee Maryland-based Regenxbio has announced since completing its initial public offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ Global Select Market in September.
To date the NAV Technology Platform has been used in conjunction with 28 candidate gene therapies, 23 of which are being developed by companies that licensed access to the technology before Regenxbio went public.
The most advanced of these projects are being run by AveXis Inc and Dimension Therapeutics, which each started early-phase trials of gene therapies in January.
Chinese contract services firm Wuxi Apptec is working with Regenxbio to develop scalable production methods for NAV-based gene therapies under a strategic manufacturing deal signed in June.
The firms are currently making Regenxbio’s candidate wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) therapy RGX-111 for planned Phase I/II trials.