Sirion and Sanofi in Gene Therapy Partnership
Germany’s Sirion Biotech has signed a license and collaboration agreement with major French pharma Sanofi on viral vector-based gene therapy. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The partners aim to develop improved tissue-selective adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to realize effective gene therapy treatments for disorders affecting major human organs.
Sirion and Sanofi will combine their proprietary technology platforms to create next-generation AAV vectors with the goal of developing new and modified AAV capsids that display a safe profile with improved specificity and higher gene delivery efficiency.
“This partnership adds to our expanding toolbox of technologies in the important, emerging area of gene therapeutics,” said Christian Mueller, Sanofi’s global head of genomic medicine, adding that Sirion’s “expertise and capabilities in AAV vector manufacturing will allow us to better address unmet medical needs and open new frontiers for drug discovery in genomic medicine.”
Based at Martinsried, Sirion uses proprietary technology platforms based on lenti-, adeno- and adeno-associated viruses to expedite advances in drug development.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
