Regeneron, Avalanche partner on gene therapy research

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Avalanche Biotechnologies announced a collaboration agreement to develop gene therapy products for ophthalmic diseases.

The collaboration covers up to eight distinct therapeutic targets, including AVA-101, which is currently under investigation in a phase 2a trial for wet AMD, and it has a proprietary adeno-associated virus-based gene therapy technology called the Ocular BioFactory platform.

Under the terms of the agreement, Avalanche will receive an upfront cash payment and contingent payments of up to $640 million.

"We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Avalanche, a leader in the field of next-generation gene therapy technologies," said George D. Yancopoulos, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer of Regeneron and president of Regeneron Laboratories. "This collaboration highlights the commitment by Regeneron to invest in potentially