Sangamo Therapeutics Secures Lifeline with Genentech Deal for Neurodegenerative Disease Treatments

The collaboration grants Genentech exclusive rights to Sangamo’s zinc finger repressors aimed at the tau gene, which is implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, and an undisclosed neurology target. Sangamo’s adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid, STAC-BBB, capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier to deliver therapies to the central nervous system, is also included in the licensing agreement.

Sangamo will be responsible for completing the technology transfer and conducting some preclinical activities, while Genentech will oversee clinical development, regulatory interactions, manufacturing, and global commercialization of these assets.

This partnership comes at a critical time for Sangamo, which has been struggling financially. Prior to this deal, Sangamo had enough cash reserves to last only until the third quarter of 2024, and a recent Seeking Alpha report suggested the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. The announcement of the Genentech deal caused Sangamo’s stock to surge by over 40%.

Sangamo CEO Sandy Macrae expressed optimism about the partnership, emphasizing the potential of their zinc finger technology and the STAC-BBB capsid to address significant challenges in central nervous system therapeutics. Despite the financial boost from this deal, Sangamo continues to seek additional partnerships, particularly for its Fabry disease candidate, isaralaggene civaparvovec, which has received FDA Fast Track designation.

This new agreement with Genentech marks Sangamo’s first major deal since 2020, when a collaboration with Biogen, worth $350 million upfront, was established but later discontinued. Recently, there has been renewed hope for Sangamo with positive Phase III results for their Pfizer-partnered hemophilia A gene therapy, giroctocogene fitelparvovec, which could provide substantial milestone payments and royalties if approved.

Roche’s commitment to overcoming the challenges of developing Alzheimer’s treatments remains strong, as demonstrated by this new venture with Sangamo. This partnership provides a crucial financial lifeline to Sangamo while leveraging their innovative genomic technologies to potentially make significant strides in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

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