Otsuka Pharmaceutical Collaborates with ShapeTX
Friday, September 08, 2023
Otsuka Pharmaceutical and ShapeTX have announced a significant collaboration to develop intravitreally-delivered adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) for the treatment of ocular diseases, with the option to expand the scope of their work to include additional targets and tissue types.
This collaboration brings together ShapeTX's AAVidTM capsid discovery platform and transgene engineering technology with Otsuka's expertise in genetic payload design and ophthalmology to create innovative therapies for individuals affected by serious eye conditions.
According to the terms of the agreement, ShapeTX will receive an initial payment from Otsuka and stands to receive further payments tied to development, regulatory milestones, and sales achievements, with the total potential value of these payments exceeding $1.5 billion. Additionally, ShapeTX will be entitled to receive tiered royalties on the sales of any products resulting from this collaborative effort.
The primary objective of this collaboration with ShapeTX is to enable the delivery of vectorised antibody drugs alongside AAV technology. This approach is designed to specifically target disease-related cell types within the eye and offer a one-time, curative treatment with sustained lifetime expression.
