Sarepta Therapeutics and GenEdit Share Progress on Research Collaboration and Announce Agreement to Develop Gene Editing Therapeutics for Neuromuscular Diseases

  • Collaboration combines Sarepta’s proprietary gene editing technologies and GenEdit’s non-viral delivery platform to create new genetic medicines for patients with neuromuscular diseases
  • Initial results from the ongoing research collaboration have demonstrated delivery to muscle tissue after systemic administration
  • Sarepta and GenEdit will work together to identify development candidates for further testing

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 1, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)– Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRPT), the leader in precision genetic medicine for rare diseases, and GenEdit, Inc., a developer of genetic medicines that leverage its NanoGalaxyTM polymer nanoparticle platform for tissue-selective delivery, today announced a research collaboration and option agreement under which the companies are employing GenEdit’s NanoGalaxy platform and Sarepta’s gene editing technology to develop gene editing therapeutics for the treatment of neuromuscular diseases. As part of the agreement, Sarepta obtains exclusive option rights to license polymer nanoparticles developed by GenEdit in the collaboration for up to four neuromuscular indications selected by Sarepta.

Initial in vivo results from the research collaboration between GenEdit and Sarepta have demonstrated the potential of GenEdit’s polymer nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic cargo to specific muscle tissue after systemic administration to allow for targeted, non-viral systemic delivery of genetic medicines. Theresearch collaboration and option agreement commenced in December 2020.

“We’ve been impressed with the diversity of GenEdit’s NanoGalaxy platform and its screening and selection process, which has generated a number of distinct polymers that deliver to muscle,” said Doug Ingram, president and chief executive officer, Sarepta Therapeutics. “Sarepta is committed to the development of therapies for rare neuromuscular diseases, and we look forward to continuing to work with the team at GenEdit to advance effective gene editing-based treatments for these patients.”

Gene editing has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of diseases caused by genetic mutations by permanently modifying the genes that lead to disease. Sarepta is pursuing a variety of approaches to genetic medicine, including gene editing, as a potentially curative treatment for rare neuromuscular diseases. GenEdit has demonstrated in preclinical studies that its NanoGalaxy platform can selectively deliver to different tissues a variety of functional genetic medicine cargos, including CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein, for targeted in vivo gene editing.

“GenEdit has demonstrated in this collaboration and in our own studies that the NanoGalaxy platform can overcome historic challenges in the field and achieve tissue-selective delivery of a broad range of genetic medicine cargos,” said Kunwoo Lee, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of GenEdit. “GenEdit is excited to continue to advance our collaboration with Sarepta and work together to identify and develop gene editing therapeutic candidates for neuromuscular diseases with the goal of having a tremendous impact on patients.”

In addition to research payments, under the terms of the collaboration and option agreement, GenEdit may receive up to $57 million in near-term payments and is also eligible for significant future development, regulatory and commercial milestones and tiered royalties ranging from upper-single to low-double digits on future product sales. Additional financial details were not disclosed.

About GenEdit, Inc.

At GenEdit, our mission is to discover and develop innovative genetic medicines with targeted in vivo delivery. Our NanoGalaxy™ platform of non-viral, non-lipid polymer nanoparticles will enable a universe of opportunities to launch the next generation of safe and effective genetic medicines. To bring these medicines to patients, we are developing our own internal pipeline and delivering a wide variety of therapeutic payloads for our partners’ programs. For more information, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.

Sarepta is on an urgent mission: engineer precision genetic medicine for rare diseases that devastate lives and cut futures short. We hold leadership positions in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs), and we currently have more than 40 programs in various stages of development. Our vast pipeline is driven by our multi-platform Precision Genetic Medicine Engine in gene therapy, RNA and gene editing. For more information, please visit www.sarepta.com or follow us on TwitterLinkedInInstagram and Facebook.

Sarepta Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “will,” “intends,” “potential,” “possible” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the parties’ obligations and responsibilities under the agreement; potential payments and fees; the potential for gene editing to revolutionize the treatment of diseases caused by genetic mutations by permanently modifying the genes that lead to disease; and the potential benefits of the collaboration between Sarepta and GenEdit, including the potential of GenEdit’s polymer nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic cargo to specific muscle tissue after systemic administration to allow for targeted, non-viral systemic delivery of genetic medicines, Sarepta’s option to license polymer nanoparticles developed by GenEdit in the collaboration for up to four neuromuscular indications selected by Sarepta, the potential to advance effective gene editing-based treatments for patients with rare neuromuscular diseases, and the identification of development candidates for further testing.

These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Known risk factors include, among others: the expected benefits and opportunities related to the collaboration and agreement may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected due to challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development. In particular, the collaboration may not result in any viable treatments suitable for commercialization due to a variety of reasons, including any inability of the parties to perform their commitments and obligations under the agreement; success in preclinical trials does not ensure that later clinical trials will be successful; Sarepta may not be able to execute on its business plans and goals, including meeting its expected or planned regulatory milestones and timelines, clinical development plans, and bringing its product candidates to market, due to a variety of reasons, many of which may be outside of Sarepta’s control, including possible limitations of company financial and other resources, manufacturing limitations that may not be anticipated or resolved for in a timely manner, regulatory, court or agency decisions, such as decisions by the United States Patent and Trademark Office with respect to patents that cover Sarepta’s product candidates and the COVID-19 pandemic; even if Sarepta’s programs result in new commercialized products, Sarepta may not achieve the expected revenues from the sale of such products; and those risks identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in Sarepta’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as other SEC filings made by the Company which you are encouraged to review.

Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and the trading price of Sarepta’s common stock. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties Sarepta faces, you are encouraged to review the SEC filings made by Sarepta. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Sarepta does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law.

Sarepta Contacts

Investors: Ian Estepan, iestepan@sarepta.com, +1 (617) 274-4052,

Media Contact: Tracy Sorrentino, tsorrentino@sarepta.com, +1 (617) 301-8566

GenEdit Contacts

Company Contact: Kunwoo Lee, Ph.D., GenEdit, Inc., info@genedit.com, +1 (510) 766-2575

Media Contact: Jessica Yingling, Ph.D., Little Dog Communications Inc., jessica@litldog.com, +1 (858) 344-8091

 

GenEdit Announces Series A Financing and Provides Research Update at TIDES 2021

  • Funding will advance development of NanoGalaxyTM, the company’s proprietary platform of polymer nanoparticles optimized for tissue-selective delivery of genetic medicines, and selection of therapeutic candidates for clinical development by GenEdit
  • Data presented today show GenEdit’s polymer nanoparticles can be optimized for tissue-selective delivery of a range of genetic medicine modalities and dosed multiple times without diminished function of the genetic payload in animal models

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., September 23, 2021 – GenEdit, Inc., a biotechnology company with a mission to develop curative therapies through targeted in vivo delivery of genetic medicines, today announced that it has closed a $26 million Series A financing. New investors Eli Lilly, KTB Network, Ltd., Company K Partners, Korea Investment Partners, DAYLI Partners, KB Investment, IMM Investment, and TIMEFOLIO Asset Management, join existing investors DCVC Bio, SK Holdings, Bow Capital, and Sequoia Capital, participating in the financing. The funding will support the further development of GenEdit’s NanoGalaxyTM platform of non-viral, non-lipid polymer nanoparticles, and the selection for clinical development of therapeutic candidates targeting diseases of the nervous system.

In addition, GenEdit today disclosed new in vivo data demonstrating tissue-selective delivery after intravenous or intrathecal administration of its polymer nanoparticles. This selectivity was achieved through optimization of polymer structure utilizing the NanoGalaxy platform. Additional data show GenEdit’s polymer nanoparticles can be dosed multiple times with functional activity of the payload maintained in each subsequent dose. GenEdit’s CEO and Cofounder Kunwoo Lee, Ph.D. will present this data at 2:30 pm ET today at TIDES 2021 in Room 204AB in a talk entitled, “Delivery of Genetic Medicines with Non-Viral Polymer Nanoparticles.”

“With this financing, we are exploring the universe of opportunities within GenEdit’s NanoGalaxy platform to treat serious diseases without effective treatment options,” said Dr. Lee. “The data presented today indicates we can overcome the historic challenges in the field of gene therapy and establishes the feasibility of using GenEdit’s polymer nanoparticles to deliver genetic medicines to a variety of tissues, including the CNS, with the potential for delivering a therapeutic effect.”

GenEdit’s NanoGalaxy platform includes thousands of chemically distinct polymers, each with unique properties making them amenable to targeting different tissues and cell types and carrying diverse genetic medicine payloads. GenEdit’s polymer nanoparticles can deliver DNA, RNA, or CRISPR ribonucleoprotein, depending on the requirement to add, delete, edit, or silence a gene for therapeutic effect.

“With its NanoGalaxy platform, the GenEdit team has achieved impressive delivery to cells of the central nervous system and has a tunable platform to target genetic medicines to different tissue types,” said Andrew Adams, Vice President of New Therapeutic Modalities at Eli Lilly and GenEdit Board observer. “Solving the delivery problem is what will truly launch genetic medicines to being an essential therapeutic modality for a wide range of diseases.”

 

About GenEdit, Inc.

At GenEdit, our mission is to develop curative therapies through targeted in vivo delivery of genetic medicines. Our NanoGalaxy™ platform of non-viral, non-lipid polymer nanoparticles will enable a universe of opportunities to launch the next generation of safe and effective genetic medicines. To bring these medicines to patients, we are developing our own internal pipeline and delivering a wide variety of therapeutic payloads for our partners’ programs. For more info, visit www.genedit.com.

 

Contacts

Company Contact: Kunwoo Lee, Ph.D., GenEdit, Inc., info@genedit.com, +1 (510) 766-2575

Media Contact: Jessica Yingling, Ph.D., Little Dog Communications Inc., jessica@litldog.com, +1 (858) 344-8091

 

GenEdit Expands Leadership Team to Advance Targeted Genetic Medicines into Clinical Trials

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., September 22, 2021 – GenEdit, Inc., a biotechnology company with a mission to develop curative therapies through targeted in vivo delivery of genetic medicines, today announced that it has added two accomplished industry executives to its leadership team. The company has appointed Romuald Corbau, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Aaron Mishel as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

As part of his 20-plus years of drug discovery and development experience, Dr. Corbau led the translation of innovative genetic medicine therapies into clinical development at Spark Therapeutics and Freeline. Mr. Mishel brings to GenEdit more than twenty years of healthcare sector experience across various leadership positions in finance, operations, corporate development, and investment banking equity research.

“The expansion of the management team comes at a pivotal time for GenEdit as we further develop our NanoGalaxyTM platform to enable genetic medicine delivery and select therapeutic candidates for clinical development,” said Kunwoo Lee, Ph.D., GenEdit’s CEO and Co-founder. “Romu and Aaron bring a depth of experience and expertise that will be invaluable as we build our company, platform, and pipeline to advance new treatments internally and with partners for a broad range of diseases with unmet medical needs.”

Dr. Corbau joins GenEdit from Freeline, where he led the research organization and built differentiated systemic gene therapy capabilities. Before Freeline, he was the Translational Lead at Spark Therapeutics. At both companies, Dr. Corbau was focused on the discovery and development of AAV-based gene therapies. Prior to that, he was Director of Biology at the Center for Innovation and Stimulation of Drug Discovery. Dr. Corbau began his pharmaceutical career at Pfizer Global Research & Development.

“GenEdit has a truly convincing approach to the delivery of genetic medicines that offers advantages over other vector systems,” added Dr. Corbau. “The team has demonstrated that NanoGalaxy polymer nanoparticles can achieve the delivery of a wide range of payloads to target tissues and can be successfully redosed. I look forward to working with the team to explore all the possibilities within NanoGalaxy to develop innovative therapies that will benefit as many patients as possible.”

Prior to joining GenEdit, Mr. Mishel served as the Chief Financial Officer of Magnetic Insight. Previously, he was the Head of Finance for Modis Therapeutics, where he helped lead the company’s sale to Zogenix. Prior to Modis, he was Director of Business & Corporate Development at BioMarin Pharmaceutical. Mr. Mishel also worked in Equity Research at Deutsche Bank and Thomas Weisel Partners, where he covered the specialty pharmaceuticals industry.

Mr. Mishel concluded, “I am thrilled to be joining GenEdit at this important stage as the company transitions its focus from demonstrating proof-of-concept for the platform to selecting initial therapeutic programs for clinical development. I look forward to working with the GenEdit team to ensure that the company’s platform technology and therapeutic programs realize their full potential.”

 

About GenEdit, Inc.

At GenEdit, our mission is to develop curative therapies through targeted in vivo delivery of genetic medicines. Our NanoGalaxy™ platform of non-viral, non-lipid polymer nanoparticles will enable a universe of opportunities to launch the next generation of safe and effective genetic medicines. To bring these medicines to patients, we are developing our own internal pipeline and delivering a wide variety of therapeutic payloads for our partners’ programs. For more info, visit www.genedit.com.

 

Contacts

Company Contact: Kunwoo Lee, Ph.D., GenEdit, Inc., info@genedit.com, +1 (510) 766-2575

Media Contact: Jessica Yingling, Ph.D., Little Dog Communications Inc., jessica@litldog.com, +1 (858) 344-8091