AlveoGene to develop inhaled gene therapies for rare respiratory diseases
AlveoGene is a new gene therapy company created and funded by Oxford Science Enterprises, Harrington Discovery Institute and Old College Capital in partnership with six leading scientists from the UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium (GTC). The Oxford-based company will use a proprietary lentiviral gene therapy platform designed and developed by GTC specifically for inhaled delivery.
AlveoGene, an innovative company focused on transforming rare respiratory disease outcomes using inhaled gene therapy, has been launched in conjunction with undisclosed seed funding raised from Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals (Harrington), and with participation from Old College Capital (OCC), the University of Edinburgh’s venture investment fund.
AlveoGene has been created in partnership with six leading scientists from the UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium (GTC) that was founded in 2001 to catalyse the application of pioneering research to gene therapy development and manufacturing related to cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases and originated at Imperial College London and the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh. The UK company will be led by David Hipkiss as Executive Chair. David is a biopharmaceutical executive with over 25 years’ experience of building and leading innovative companies, particularly in the respiratory disease area, and a proven track record of delivering high value outcomes for stakeholders. He is the former CEO and co-founder of respiratory medicine company Prosonix (acquired by Circassia for £100 million in 2015) and former CEO and founder of Enesi Pharma (now aVaxzipen), a company developing a novel solid dose injectable vaccine delivery platform.
AlveoGene has secured an exclusive licence to the “InGenuiTy™” platform, a proprietary and validated next-generation lentiviral delivery platform developed by the GTC for the treatment of respiratory diseases with high unmet need (excluding the use of the CFTR gene which is mutated in cystic fibrosis). Gene therapies developed using this platform can be delivered through a nebuliser, transducing lung epithelial cells with high efficiency and producing a long duration of action, and can achieve these effects following repeated administration. The platform has been supported by approximately £72 million in grant funding, including from the Wellcome Trust, Department of Health and Social Care, Medical Research Council and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The GTC has demonstrated key characteristics of the platform, including a scalable manufacturing process, which will allow its rapid translation through to first-in-human trials. This work will now enable AlveoGene to fast-track the development of AVG-001, its first inhaled gene therapy designed to promote localised production of alpha-1 antitrypsin to treat patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD). The company is aiming to progress this candidate towards clinical development over the next 2-3 years. AlveoGene will also evaluate the potential of the InGenuiTy™ platform to create a pipeline of novel inhaled gene therapies targeting other rare respiratory disease opportunities, such as lung surfactant deficiencies and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
14/09/23
AlveoGene to develop inhaled gene therapies for rare respiratory diseases
AlveoGene to develop inhaled gene therapies for rare respiratory diseases
AlveoGene is a new gene therapy company created and funded by Oxford Science Enterprises, Harrington Discovery Institute and Old College Capital in partnership with six leading scientists from the UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium (GTC). The Oxford-based company will use a proprietary lentiviral gene therapy platform designed and developed by GTC specifically for inhaled delivery.
AlveoGene, an innovative company focused on transforming rare respiratory disease outcomes using inhaled gene therapy, has been launched in conjunction with undisclosed seed funding raised from Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals (Harrington), and with participation from Old College Capital (OCC), the University of Edinburgh’s venture investment fund.
AlveoGene has been created in partnership with six leading scientists from the UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium (GTC) that was founded in 2001 to catalyse the application of pioneering research to gene therapy development and manufacturing related to cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases and originated at Imperial College London and the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh. The UK company will be led by David Hipkiss as Executive Chair. David is a biopharmaceutical executive with over 25 years’ experience of building and leading innovative companies, particularly in the respiratory disease area, and a proven track record of delivering high value outcomes for stakeholders. He is the former CEO and co-founder of respiratory medicine company Prosonix (acquired by Circassia for £100 million in 2015) and former CEO and founder of Enesi Pharma (now aVaxzipen), a company developing a novel solid dose injectable vaccine delivery platform.
AlveoGene has secured an exclusive licence to the “InGenuiTy™” platform, a proprietary and validated next-generation lentiviral delivery platform developed by the GTC for the treatment of respiratory diseases with high unmet need (excluding the use of the CFTR gene which is mutated in cystic fibrosis). Gene therapies developed using this platform can be delivered through a nebuliser, transducing lung epithelial cells with high efficiency and producing a long duration of action, and can achieve these effects following repeated administration. The platform has been supported by approximately £72 million in grant funding, including from the Wellcome Trust, Department of Health and Social Care, Medical Research Council and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The GTC has demonstrated key characteristics of the platform, including a scalable manufacturing process, which will allow its rapid translation through to first-in-human trials. This work will now enable AlveoGene to fast-track the development of AVG-001, its first inhaled gene therapy designed to promote localised production of alpha-1 antitrypsin to treat patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD). The company is aiming to progress this candidate towards clinical development over the next 2-3 years. AlveoGene will also evaluate the potential of the InGenuiTy™ platform to create a pipeline of novel inhaled gene therapies targeting other rare respiratory disease opportunities, such as lung surfactant deficiencies and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
14/09/23
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