Otsuka taps Shape in deal to design eye gene therapies
BioPharma
Stay updated with breaking news from Shape Therapeutics. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
To build its ophthalmology portfolio, Japan’s Otsuka Pharmaceuticals has teamed with RNA editing biotech Shape Therapeutics to develop adeno-associated virus gene therapies for ocular diseases.
In its second big pharma deal to date, Shape Therapeutics Inc. drew Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to the table in a potential $1.5 billion-plus collaboration initially aimed at developing gene therapies for ocular diseases. The multitarget agreement, which includes options for additional targets and tissue types, will combine Shape’s AI-driven adeno-associated virus (AAV) platform and Otsuka’s expertise in ophthalmology to develop intravitreally delivered AAV therapies.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was the ultimate home run for this biotech venture firm. It’s a tough act to follow.
Key trends include fewer and slower financings, a surge of decisive data readouts for cancer vaccines, and further development of mRNA, cell, and gene therapies.