AbbVie and Capsida Biotherapeutics Expand Strategic Collaboration to Develop Targeted Genetic Medicines for Eye Diseases with High Unmet Need

Rhea-AI Summary

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has expanded its strategic collaboration with Capsida Biotherapeutics to develop genetic medicines targeting eye diseases. This collaboration enhances their existing partnership from 2021 focused on neurodegenerative diseases. Under the agreement, Capsida will receive $70 million which includes upfront payments and a potential equity investment. Capsida could earn up to $595 million in additional option fees and research milestones, along with royalties on future product sales. The partnership aims to leverage AbbVie's drug development expertise and Capsida's AAV engineering capabilities to advance three therapeutic programs.

Positive

• Expanded collaboration with Capsida for developing eye disease therapies.
• Capsida to receive $70 million upfront and potential for $595 million in milestones.
• AbbVie leverages Capsida's AAV engineering platform for drug development.

Negative

• None.

-  Partnership Combines AbbVie's extensive capabilities with Capsida's novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) engineering platform

-  Builds upon the neurodegenerative disease partnership announced in 2021

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. and THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Feb. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and Capsida Biotherapeutics Inc. ("Capsida") today announced an expanded strategic collaboration to develop genetic medicines for eye diseases with high unmet need. AbbVie's extensive capabilities will be paired with Capsida's novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) engineering platform and manufacturing capability to identify and advance three programs. The collaboration builds upon the neurodegenerative disease partnership announced in 2021.

"This expanded collaboration with Capsida has the potential to develop transformative therapies for patients with serious eye diseases," said Jonathon Sedgwick, Ph.D., vice president and global head of discovery research, AbbVie. "In pursuing the promise of genetic medicine-based therapeutics, AbbVie continues to expand our capabilities, and we are pleased to have Capsida as a partner."

"AbbVie has been an excellent partner, and we are excited to expand our collaboration into ophthalmology with the world leader in this therapeutic area," said Peter Anastasiou, chief executive officer of Capsida. "Combining AbbVie's expertise in eye disease drug development and commercialization with Capsida's fully integrated next-generation AAV engineering platform and manufacturing capabilities offers the potential to provide novel therapies enabling unprecedented benefit  to patients with serious eye diseases." 

Under the terms of the expanded agreement, Capsida will receive $70 million, consisting of upfront payments and a potential equity investment. For the three programs, Capsida may be eligible to receive up to $595 million in option fees and research and development milestones, with potential for further commercial milestones. Capsida is also eligible to receive mid-to-high single-digit royalty payments on future product sales. Capsida will lead capsid discovery efforts for all programs using its high throughput AAV engineering platform and will be responsible for process development and early clinical manufacturing. AbbVie will lead innovative therapeutic cargo approaches and be responsible for development and commercialization. 

About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Capsida Biotherapeutics
Capsida Biotherapeutics is a fully integrated next-generation gene therapy platform company. Capsida's approach unlocks the potential to treat both rare and common diseases across all ages. We create customized therapies that selectively target specific organ systems and simultaneously limit exposure to non-targeted organs. The company has wholly owned programs in CNS and strategic collaborations with AbbVie (CNS and eye care), Lilly (CNS), and CRISPR Therapeutics (CNS), providing independent validation of Capsida's capabilities. Capsida is backed by Versant Ventures and Westlake Village BioPartners. Its platform originated from groundbreaking research in the laboratory of Viviana Gradinaru, Ph.D., a neuroscience professor at the California Institute of Technology. Visit us at www.capsida.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, failure to realize the expected benefits from AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan plc ("Allergan"), failure to promptly and effectively integrate Allergan's businesses, competition from other products, challenges to intellectual property, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry and the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, such as COVID-19. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbvie-and-capsida-biotherapeutics-expand-strategic-collaboration-to-develop-targeted-genetic-medicines-for-eye-diseases-with-high-unmet-need-301753576.html

SOURCE AbbVie

FAQ

What is the recent collaboration between AbbVie and Capsida Biotherapeutics about?

AbbVie has expanded its collaboration with Capsida Biotherapeutics to develop genetic medicines targeting eye diseases, building upon their previous partnership focused on neurodegenerative diseases.

How much funding did Capsida receive from AbbVie in the new agreement?

Capsida will receive $70 million in upfront payments and may earn up to $595 million in potential milestone payments.

What are the key goals of the expanded partnership between AbbVie and Capsida?

The partnership aims to leverage both companies' strengths to advance three therapeutic programs for eye diseases with high unmet needs.

What will be Capsida's role in the collaboration with AbbVie?

Capsida will lead capsid discovery efforts and be responsible for process development and early clinical manufacturing.

What is the potential financial benefit for Capsida from AbbVie?

Capsida could potentially earn up to $595 million in option fees and research and development milestones, along with royalties on sales of future products.