Alexion/AstraZeneca Rare Disease to acquire from Pfizer a portfolio of preclinical gene therapy programmes
Alexion/ AstraZeneca Rare Disease, announced that it has entered a definitive purchase and licence agreement for a portfolio of preclinical gene therapy programmes and enabling technologies from Pfizer Inc. The agreement furthers Alexion and AstraZeneca’s commitment to advancing next-generation genomic medicines with the addition of complementary pipeline assets and innovative technologies
As part of the agreement, the transaction will bring to Alexion a number of novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids. AAV capsids have been shown to be an effective mechanism for delivering therapeutic gene cargos for gene therapy and gene editing. These new resources build on Alexion and AstraZeneca’s combined capabilities in genomic medicine, recently strengthened with the acquisition of LogicBio, with the objective to develop new genetic therapies with improved safety and efficacy profiles. Additionally, Alexion will seek to welcome talent from Pfizer associated with the portfolio. Under the agreement, Alexion will purchase and licence the assets of Pfizer’s early-stage rare disease gene therapy portfolio for a total consideration of up to $1 billion, plus tiered royalties on sales.
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