Novartis is acquiring Kate Therapeutics, a developer of gene therapies for neuromuscular disease, for up to $1.1 billion in upfront payments and potential milestones.
Neuromuscular diseases are a group of disorders that impair the functioning of muscles and nerves, disrupting nerve signal transmission and muscle contraction and movement. Many of these disorders are genetic in nature and present significant challenges to patients and their families.
Based in San Diego, Kate Therapeutics is a preclinical stage biotechnology company, focused on developing adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies to treat genetically defined neuromuscular diseases. The company’s primary programs include preclinical candidates for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, facioscapulohumeral dystrophy, and myotonic dystrophy type 1.
The company’s platform technology has been used to evolve a novel class of liver de-targeted muscle-tropic capsids, which transduce both skeletal muscle and cardiac tissue with potency and selectivity in vivo, while avoiding the liver. Its approach aims to improve both the efficacy and safety of gene therapies, opening potential possibilities for treating complex diseases previously difficult to address with current technologies, including inherited neuromuscular diseases.
“We have been highly impressed with the rigor and potential of Kate’s science, and we are confident this acquisition will further enhance our ability to bring forward new therapeutic options for patients living with neuromuscular diseases,” said Fiona Marshall, President of Biomedical Research at Novartis.
Photo: Fiona Marshall, President of Biomedical Research at Novartis
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