Regeneron agrees CRISPR/Cas licensing deal
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has agreed a licensing deal that it says will enable it to advance CRISPR/Cas gene-editing technology.
Under the terms of the six-year agreement, between Regeneron and Intellia Therapeutics, Regeneron has the exclusive right to discover and develop CRISPR-based products against up to ten targets.
The research will be focused primarily on therapies for a broad range of diseases that may be treated by editing genes in the liver.
Regeneron will pay Intellia $75 million upfront and Intellia is also eligible to receive “significant milestone and royalty payments” on potential future Regeneron products.
George Yancopoulos, chief scientific officer of Regeneron, said: “Our industry-leading human genetics research with the Regeneron Genetics Center is already identifying important genetic targets, building on our long-standing expertise in genetic engineering.
“We believe combining these capabilities with Intellia’s technology holds real promise for serious diseases that have been historically difficult to address, and expands our ability to help patients where antibody-based therapies may not be the optimal solution.”
Nessan Bermingham, chief executive of Intellia, added: “Regeneron’s focus on advancing science to medicine is an excellent fit with Intellia’s approach, and together, we aim to bring potential cures to patients who are suffering from life-threatening rare diseases and genetic diseases.”
