Poseida Enters Collaboration with Takeda for Non-Viral In Vivo Gene Therapies

Poseida Therapeutics said it will use its proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create cell and gene therapies with the capacity to cure as part of a research collaboration and exclusive license agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical focused on up to eight gene therapies.

Photo: Eric Ostertag, CEO of Poseida

The collaboration will focus on developing non-viral in vivo gene therapy programs, including Poseida’s Hemophilia A program. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will collaborate to initially develop up to six in vivo gene therapy programs utilizing Poseida’s novel technology platforms including piggyBac, Cas-CLOVER and biodegradable nanoparticle technology, as well as certain emerging technologies.

Takeda also has an option to add two additional programs to the collaboration and is obligated to provide funding for all collaboration program R&D costs.

“Our technologies offer highly efficient gene delivery, fully integrated non-viral genome insertion and ultra-precise site-specific gene editing,” said Eric Ostertag, CEO of Poseida. “Together with Takeda, we look forward to developing potential cures for a number of genetic diseases with high unmet need.”

Poseida will receive an upfront payment of $45 million and preclinical milestones that together could potentially exceed $125 million if milestones for six programs are achieved.

Poseida is also eligible to receive future clinical development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments with a total potential value over the course of the partnership of up to $2.7 billion if milestones for all six programs succeed, and up to $3.6 billion if the milestones related to the two optional programs also succeed.

Poseida will lead research activities up to candidate selection, after which Takeda will assume responsibility for further development and commercialization.

“Poseida’s differentiated platform technologies show great promise in developing non-viral in vivo gene therapies using their novel genetic engineering and delivery technologies that complement our existing collaborations,” said Takeda Rare Diseases Drug Discovery Unit Head, Madhu Natarajan. “This partnership reinforces Takeda’s commitment to investing in next-generation gene therapy approaches that have the potential to deliver functional cures to patients with rare genetic and hematologic diseases.”

Author: Rare Daily Staff