Roche Invests Nearly $2 Billion in Alzheimer's Disease Gene Therapy
Sangamo Therapeutics declared that it and Genentech, a Roche subsidiary, have signed an authorization agreement for the development of intravenous gene therapy for the treatment of neurological illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease. The rights to create zinc finger protein-based epigenetic inhibitors that specifically target MAPT genes that encode Tau proteins have been acquired by Genentech. Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, are mostly dependent on tau proteins. Furthermore, Genentech has obtained the usage rights for Sangamo's exclusive AAV capsid, STAC-BBB. In experiments involving non-human primates, this AAV envelope has proven to have strong blood-brain barrier (BBB) bridging capabilities.
There have been notable advancements in the creation of innovative therapies for Alzheimer's disease in the past few years. The FDA has previously granted complete approval for the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's patients with Leqembi (lecanemab), a drug co-produced by Weimai and Bohus Health, and Kisunla (donanemab), a drug created by Lilly. Additionally, cellular and gene treatments have demonstrated encouraging first results in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; nevertheless, getting a therapeutic gene past the blood-brain barrier to safeguard the brain is still a major obstacle.
