Forcefield Therapeutics signs exclusive patent and know-how license agreement with Freeline Therapeutics
Wednesday, April 05, 2023
Forcefield Therapeutics Ltd, a pioneer of best-in-class therapeutics to protect heart function by arresting the loss of cardiomyocytes following myocardial infarction, and Freeline Therapeutics have entered into an exclusive patent and know-how license agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Freeline gains rights to develop and commercialise AAV gene therapies for certain cardiac conditions using key targets identified by Forcefield.
Forcefield will receive an upfront payment of £500,000 and is entitled to certain development and regulatory milestone payments and a mid-single-digit percentage royalty on net sales of any potential products.
The agreement centres around the use of gene products identified by FunSel, a genetic ‘search engine’. These gene products have been shown in preclinical AAV gene therapy models to minimise damage and preserve heart function after myocardial infarction. Positive preclinical data published last year in Science Translational Medicine demonstrated the gene products preserved cardiomyocyte viability, sustained cardiac function and prevented pathological remodelling.
Dan Gliddon, Chief Operating Officer of Forcefield Therapeutics, commented: “Forcefield’s expertise in cardiac biology offers Freeline an opportunity to leverage its AAV expertise in gene therapy in cardiac development. This validates Forcefield’s cardiac expertise and broadens the potential application of our discoveries beyond our proprietary program in myocardial infarction and into other indications.”
Michael Parini, Chief Executive Officer of Freeline Therapeutics, said: “We are excited about the opportunity to work with Forcefield to combine their unique insights into cardiac disease with our leading capabilities in gene therapy and protein engineering. Moving beyond rare diseases to use novel gene therapies to address serious chronic disease is a strategic research priority for Freeline, and this agreement jumpstarts our research efforts to make to help make that vision a reality.”
Professor Mauro Giacca, Forcefield Therapeutics’ founder and board member, added: “We have compelling preclinical data that show novel genetic therapies offer the potential to revolutionise the treatment of cardiac diseases. I’m really excited by the potential to collaborate with Freeline, a leader in AAV therapy, as we seek to bring these to patients.”
Source: globenewswire.com
