Lexeo Therapeutics Announces License Agreement to Accelerate Development of LX2006 for the Treatment of Friedreich Ataxia Cardiomyopathy
- Lexeo gains rights to current and future data from ongoing clinical trials of LX2006.
- A total of 11 participants have been treated to date with no serious adverse events reported.
- Interim data at multiple doses expected in mid-2024.
- Lexeo aims to develop a potentially life-changing therapy for Friedreich ataxia cardiomyopathy.
- FDA designations may accelerate the regulatory process for LX2006.
- None.
Insights
The licensing agreement between Lexeo Therapeutics and Cornell University represents a significant step in the development of LX2006 for treating Friedreich ataxia (FA) cardiomyopathy, a condition with no currently approved treatments. By gaining access to extensive clinical data, Lexeo can potentially expedite the LX2006 program, enhancing its discussions with regulatory agencies. Investors should note that the power of this agreement lies in the comprehensive nature of the data set, which spans multiple cohorts and includes long-term safety observations.
The gene therapy landscape is rapidly evolving and Lexeo's strategy to collaborate and in-license from academic institutions is not uncommon. Such alliances can provide a biotech firm with a robust scientific foundation and potentially reduce early-stage research risks. For stakeholders, the key point is whether Lexeo can translate this scientific promise into a commercially viable product that meets the FDA's efficacy and safety standards. The market for rare diseases, although smaller in patient numbers, often allows for premium pricing strategies due to the high unmet need, which could provide significant revenue if LX2006 is approved.
Investors should also consider the regulatory designations—Orphan Drug, Rare Pediatric Disease and Fast Track—as they may offer advantages such as tax credits, grant funding and potentially quicker review times. These designations can enhance a company's ability to navigate the regulatory pathway more efficiently. However, they also need to be mindful of the inherent risks associated with clinical trials, particularly in the field of gene therapy, where long-term effects are still under study.
From a financial perspective, the in-licensing agreement has the potential to be a value-creating event for Lexeo Therapeutics, particularly if the LX2006 program demonstrates successful trial outcomes. The licensing deal could be indicative of a positive endorsement by Weill Cornell Medicine, a respected institution in medical research and may enhance investor confidence. Dosing patients across different cohorts allows for a more robust evaluation of the drug's efficacy and safety, which can be pivotal in the eyes of both regulators and investors.
Another aspect for investors to consider is the potential cost savings and time efficiencies that can arise from avoiding duplication of research efforts. By consolidating data from Weill Cornell Medicine's trials with their own, Lexeo could potentially streamline the development pathway and reduce expenses associated with their clinical programs. It is essential, however, to acknowledge the capital-intensive nature of gene therapy development, where expenditures can escalate as programs progress through the clinical stages.
Finally, investors should keep an eye on the interim data readout expected in mid-year 2024. This event will likely serve as a significant inflection point for Lexeo's stock, as it will provide more concrete evidence regarding the therapy's clinical viability. In the meantime, assessing the company's cash burn rate and capital-raising strategies will be important to understand its financial runway and the need for potential dilutive financing rounds.
Friedreich ataxia cardiomyopathy is a debilitating and progressive disease that severely impacts patients and families. Lexeo's LX2006 represents a potentially transformative approach through gene therapy. The efficacy of this treatment hinges on the ability of AAVrh.10hFXN to deliver the therapeutic gene effectively and safely, addressing the root cause of FA. The reported absence of treatment-related serious adverse events is encouraging, suggesting a favorable safety profile thus far.
Considering the genetic nature of FA, the AAV vector deployed in LX2006 is engineered to deliver the FXN gene, which is deficient in FA patients. The efficacy of this approach will be measured by its ability to halt or reverse the progression of cardiomyopathy associated with the disease. The preliminary data, along with its Orphan Drug status, could also serve as a springboard for the development of additional gene therapies for other rare diseases, leveraging Lexeo’s platform technology.
For investors with an interest in the biotech sector, the progress of LX2006 offers insight into the gene therapy field's risk-reward profile. Early success in clinical trials can lead to significant stock appreciation, yet the high stakes of gene therapy R&D, alongside the specificity of targeting rare diseases, introduce a considerable risk profile that needs to be balanced against the potential for high returns.
Lexeo Therapeutics gains intellectual property rights including current and future clinical data from ongoing Weill Cornell Medicine investigator-initiated trial of gene therapy candidate AAVrh.10hFXN (LX2006) to support regulatory discussions
Together with Lexeo Therapeutics’ ongoing study of LX2006, a total of 11 participants have been treated to date; includes patients at treatment durations out to 18-months with no treatment-related serious adverse events observed across either study
Interim readout of combined data set at multiple doses expected mid-year 2024
NEW YORK, April 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lexeo Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: LXEO), a clinical stage genetic medicine company, today announced an in-license agreement with Cornell University to expedite development of the investigational gene therapy candidate LX2006 for the treatment of Friedreich ataxia (FA) cardiomyopathy.
Under the license agreement, Lexeo has acquired certain rights1 including rights to current and future data generated in an ongoing investigator-initiated Phase 1A trial of AAVrh.10hFXN to treat FA cardiomyopathy (NCT05302271). The agreement will support Lexeo’s efforts to develop a potentially life-changing therapy for this unmet need.
The investigator-initiated trial is being conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine, which has pioneered groundbreaking research on the potential of gene therapy in FA, published preclinical data that supported the first ever gene therapy IND clearance for FA, and sponsored a natural history study for almost a decade to better characterize the condition and its progression. Lexeo previously licensed know-how relating to AAVrh.10hFXN from Weill Cornell Medicine and collaborated with researchers there to further study the candidate, which Lexeo refers to as LX2006. Lexeo is studying LX2006 in the company-sponsored, open label, dose-ascending, multicenter SUNRISE-FA Phase 1/2 trial (NCT05445323), in which four patients have been dosed to date across cohorts 1 & 2. Weill Cornell Medicine has dosed seven patients to date with LX2006 across dose cohorts 1 & 2 and is collecting biomarker, structural, and functional cardiac data akin to SUNRISE-FA.
“The larger aggregate data set, combined with Orphan Drug, Rare Pediatric Disease, and Fast Track designations from FDA, is anticipated to facilitate an accelerated path to regulatory engagements for LX2006,” said R. Nolan Townsend, Chief Executive Officer of Lexeo Therapeutics. “We are excited about the opportunity to advance research in FA cardiomyopathy, which is the leading cause of death in FA and has no approved treatment options today.”
The interim clinical data readout of LX2006 is expected mid-year 2024. With the newly-licensed data, the readout will now include participants across the two studies, approximately doubling the number of evaluable patients and including patients with a treatment duration out to 18-months. Lexeo also expects to provide an analysis of natural history data and baseline characteristics for study participants from both studies to characterize the cardiovascular disease phenotype seen in FA cardiomyopathy ahead of the interim readout.
“This agreement with Lexeo Therapeutics builds upon years of collaboration between Weill Cornell Medicine and Lexeo to benefit patients with FA cardiomyopathy. It is our intention that this license agreement will accelerate the clinical investigation and development of LX2006 as a potential life-saving therapy for patients with FA,” said Dr. Lisa Placanica, Senior Managing Director, Center for Technology Licensing at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Patients Treated with LX2006 Across Clinical Trials, as of April 22, 2024
| Dose | Combined Enrollment Update and Months of Follow-Up | ||
| >12 months | 6-12 months | <6 months | |
| Dose Cohort 1 1.8x1011 vg/kg | 3 | 3 | - |
| Dose Cohort 2 5.6x1011 vg/kg | - | 2 | 3 |
Note: Cardiac biopsies are performed only in the SUNRISE-FA trial; one patient in dose cohort 1 and three patients in dose cohort 2 have undergone cardiac biopsies.
The Phase 1A study of AAVrh.10hFXN conducted by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine is a single-site, 52-week, dose-ascending, open-label trial evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of AAVrh.10hFXN in patients who have FA cardiomyopathy. AAVrh.10hFXN is administered as a one-time intravenous infusion to patients in two ascending-dose cohorts with five participants per cohort. While cardiac biopsies are not collected in this study, key cardiac disease measures are collected at 3, 6 and 12-month intervals and complement data collected in SUNRISE-FA.
SUNRISE-FA is a multicenter, 52-week, dose-ascending, open-label trial evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of LX2006 in patients who have FA cardiomyopathy. LX2006 is administered as a one-time intravenous infusion to patients in at least two ascending-dose cohorts with the potential to escalate to a third cohort at a dose of 1.2x1012 vg/kg. Long-term safety and efficacy will be evaluated for five years following dosing in both trials.
________________________
1The license agreement includes a package of intellectual property rights including know-how previously licensed to the Company, patent rights related to LX2006, and rights to current and future data generated in an ongoing investigator-initiated Phase 1A trial of AAVrh.10hFXN to treat FA cardiomyopathy (NCT05302271).
About LX2006
LX2006 is an AAV-based gene therapy candidate delivered intravenously for the treatment of FA cardiomyopathy, the most common cause of mortality in patients with FA affecting approximately 5,000 patients in the United States. LX2006 is designed to target the cardiac manifestations of FA by delivering a functional frataxin gene to promote the expression of the frataxin protein and restore mitochondrial function in myocardial cells. In preclinical studies, LX2006 reversed the cardiac abnormalities in FA disease models and showed improvement in cardiac function and survival while demonstrating a favorable safety profile. The FDA has granted Rare Pediatric Disease designation, Fast Track designation, and Orphan Drug designation to LX2006 for the treatment of FA cardiomyopathy.
About Lexeo Therapeutics
Lexeo Therapeutics is a New York City-based, clinical stage genetic medicine company dedicated to transforming healthcare by applying pioneering science to fundamentally change how genetically defined cardiovascular diseases and APOE4-associated Alzheimer’s disease are treated. Using a stepwise development approach, Lexeo is leveraging early proof-of-concept functional and biomarker data to advance a pipeline of cardiovascular and APOE4-associated Alzheimer’s disease programs.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, our expectations and plans regarding our current product candidates and programs, including statements regarding the anticipated benefits of the license agreement between Lexeo Therapeutics and Cornell University and the data to be provided thereunder, including the acceleration of the development of our product candidates and the timing of approvals, if any. Words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “objective,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “would,” “expect,” “believe,” “design,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “develop,” “plan” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While Lexeo believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current information available to the company as well as certain estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties (including, without limitation, those set forth in Lexeo’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)), many of which are beyond the company’s control and subject to change. Actual results could be materially different from those indicated by such forward looking statements as a result of many factors, including but not limited to: risks and uncertainties related to global macroeconomic conditions and related volatility; expectations regarding the initiation, progress, and expected results of Lexeo’s preclinical studies, clinical trials and research and development programs; the unpredictable relationship between preclinical study results and clinical study results; delays in submission of regulatory filings or failure to receive regulatory approval; liquidity and capital resources; and other risks and uncertainties identified in Lexeo’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the annual period ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 11, 2024, and subsequent future filings Lexeo may make with the SEC. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties. Lexeo claims the protection of the Safe Harbor contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for forward-looking statements. Lexeo expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter any statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Media Response:
Carolyn Hawley
(619) 849-5382
Carolyn.hawley@inizioevoke.com
Investor Response:
Stephen Jasper
(858) 525-2047
stephen@gilmartinir.com
FAQ
What did Lexeo Therapeutics announce?
What rights did Lexeo gain under the license agreement?
How many participants have been treated with LX2006 to date?
When is the interim data from the ongoing trials expected?
What is the goal of Lexeo in developing LX2006?
