Allergan to pay Editas $90m for development of CRISPR eye treatment

Allergan Pharmaceuticals and genome-editing company Editas Medicine have entered into a strategic research and development agreement over CRISPR technology.

CRISPR is a tool that can be programmed to target specific stretches of genetic code and edit DNA at precise locations in the human genome.

Under the agreement, announced on Tuesday, March 14, Allergan will receive exclusive access to, as well as the option to license, up to five of Editas Medicine’s genome-editing ocular programmes.

This includes Editas Medicine’s lead programme for Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA10), an inherited retinal degenerative disease, which is currently in pre-clinical development.

Editas Medicine will receive an upfront payment of $90 million for the development of five candidate programmes, and will also be eligible to receive development and commercial milestones and royalty payments on a per-programme basis.

David Nicholson, chief research and development officer of Allergan, said: “The CRISPR genome-editing platform holds the potential to transform the treatment of many genetic and non-genetically derived diseases, including diseases and conditions of the eye.”

He added that the LCA10 programme is “highly complementary” to Allergan’s ongoing eye care development programmes, where “unmet medical need exists for patients”.

Katrine Bosley, president and CEO of Editas Medicine, said that working together with Allergan would significantly enhance the company’s ability to develop genome-editing medicines to help patients with serious eye diseases.

She added: “This alliance is highly aligned with our strategy to build our company for the long-term and to realis e the broad potential of our genome-editing platform to treat serious diseases.”

Did you enjoy reading this story?  Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox