Roche has signed a second research collaboration with Massachusetts-based biotech Dyno Therapeutics, this time focused on developing next-gen adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for gene therapies targeting neurological diseases.
The new deal will give Roche further access to Dyno’s platform and sequence design technologies enabling in vivo gene delivery. Dyno’s platform, known as CapsidMap, integrates AI with high-throughput experimentation to systematically and rapidly optimize AAV capsids, overcoming the limitations of naturally occurring virus capsids by improving targeting ability, payload size, immune evasion and manufacturability.
Per the deal, Roche will pay Dyno $50 million upfront, along with additional payments during the research phase of the collaboration, plus potential preclinical, clinical and sales milestone payments totaling over $1 billion. Dyno will be responsible for the design and discovery of novel AAV capsids with improved functional properties, while Roche will conduct capsid validation studies and further preclinical, clinical, and commercialization activities for multiple neurological gene therapy product candidates leveraging novel Dyno capsids.
This is the second time the partners have teamed up. Roche inked a potential $1.8 billion deal back in October 2020 to use Dyno’s CapsidMap platform for the development AAV vectors for gene therapies for central nervous system diseases and liver-directed therapies for the portfolio of both Roche and Spark Therapeutics.