AC Immune SA

iStock, JHVEPhoto With an upfront payment of $50 million from Roche, the partnership will leverage Dyno Therapeutics’ in vivo gene therapy delivery technology, which synthesizes virus capsids with better functionality and manufacturability. Roche on Thursday inked its second research collaboration deal with Dyno Therapeutics to advance next-generation gene therapies for neurological diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will make an upfront payment of $50 million and pledge more than $1 billion in preclinical, clinical and commercial milestones, plus royalties on net sales of any product that arises from the partnership. Roche will gain even greater access to Dyno’s in vivo gene therapy delivery platform, which uses AI to optimally and rapidly synthesize adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids. According to the biotech’s website , this approach can sidestep the common limitations of naturally occurring capsids—which existing gene therapies use—such as problems with existing immunity, payload size and manufacturability. Under the new agreement, Dyno will leverage its delivery technology and take charge of discovering novel AAV capsids with better functionality. Roche will be responsible for capsid validation studies and lead preclinical and clinical development, as well as commercialization activities. The partners have yet to specify what diseases they will prioritize, only revealing that they will go after neurological targets. Boris Zaïtra, Roche’s head of corporate business development, in a statement said that the company is “very pleased to take our partnership with Dyno Therapeutics to the next level.” Roche and Dyno first teamed in October 2020, when the biopharma put $1.8 billion on the line to use Dyno’s platform to develop AAV vectors for gene therapies targeting the liver or the central nervous system. “Our previous collaboration with Dyno Therapeutics gives us great confidence to increase our investment in therapeutic gene delivery, to support our neurological disease portfolio,” Zaïtra said, noting that the new agreement on Thursday will allow Roche to develop novel therapies for “historically difficult-to-treat neurological diseases.” With the new Dyno deal, Roche looks to beef up its neuro pipeline just days after it backed out of an Alzheimer’s disease partnership with UCB, returning rights to the Phase IIa candidate bepranemab. Roche and UCB in July 2020 agreed to work on bepranemab together, with the biopharma paying $120 million upfront and pledging up to $2 billion in milestones. In January 2024, Roche also dumped two Alzheimer’s disease assets , handing them back to Swiss biotech AC Immune. The candidates were the anti-amyloid beta antibody crenezumab and the anti-tau antibody semorinemab. However, Roche’s neuro business has also made forward strides. In March 2024, the company unveiled promising Phase Ib/IIa data for the investigational antibody trontinemab, which it is developing for Alzheimer’s disease. Early data showed that trontinemab could substantially reduce mean amyloid levels in the brain. Last month, Roche also touted strong mid-stage data for its BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib, which the company at the time said resulted in a “near-complete suppression of disease activity” in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis.

iStock, ktsimage Roche drops a third Alzheimer’s candidate this year, terminating a partnership with UCB just four years after agreeing to work together on new treatments for the neurological disease. Roche has cut short a partnership with UCB in Alzheimer’s disease, handing rights to a Phase IIa prospect back just over four years after signing the deal. This is the second time this year that Roche has cut an Alzheimer’s partnership, after sending two failed assets back to AC Immune in January. UCB and Roche’s Genentech unit agreed in July 2020 to develop bepranemab, then known as UCB0107, for $120 million upfront and up to $2 billion in potential milestones. The end of the partnership was revealed as UCB announced the acceptance of an abstract for a Phase IIa study of bepranemab at the 2024 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease Meeting scheduled for Spain later this month. UCB said that the rights to the drug had been handed back after the termination of the agreement with Roche. No further details were provided. Roche listed bepranemab as headed for a regulatory filing in 2027 or beyond as of its first quarter earnings presentation in April. The therapy was not featured in the company’s second quarter earnings presentation at the half year. Roche has long been in the hunt for the next Alzheimer’s treatment but fell way behind when its late-stage candidate gantenerumab failed a pair of Phase III trials in 2022. Meanwhile, peers Eisai/Biogen and Eli Lilly have charged ahead with their groundbreaking new anti-amyloid antibodies Leqembi and Kisunla , the first new treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease in years. Back to the drawing board, Roche is developing several early-stage assets for the disorder. Until today, bepranemab was among them. That leaves RG6289 and trontinemab, which are both in Phase II. Roche showcased promising Phase Ib/IIa data for trontinemab in March, suggesting the treatment had a “rapid and robust” impact on amyloid plaque reduction. Roche’s announcement about the end of its UCB collaboration comes days after Johnson & Johnson trimmed a candidate for Alzheimer’s disease agitation or aggression.

Plus, news about Vigil Neuroscience, AC Immune and Athira Pharma: Capricor Therapeutics, Nippon Shinyaku expand commercial pact into Europe: The new deal builds off an existing partnership for a Duchenne muscular dystrophy candidate in the US and Japan. Nippon Shinyaku will now be in charge of distribution and commercialization in Europe, with Capricor earning $20 million upfront, $15 million in an equity investment and up to $715 million in milestone payments. Capricor’s stock $CAPR was up about 8% on Tuesday morning. — Max Bayer Ripple Therapeutics inks deal with AbbVie for eye treatment: The drugmaker is paying $21.8 million upfront to license RTC-620, an experimental implant that delivers a treatment that reduces intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. According to the deal, Ripple can get up to $290 million in fees and milestones, plus tiered royalties on net sales. — Jaimy Lee FDA lifts partial hold for Vigil Neuroscience asset: The biotech can now continue with a Phase 1 study testing VG-3927 as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Vigil said the agency decision was based on a “complete response submitted by the company.” — Max Bayer J&J makes a second milestone payment to AC Immune: The new lump sum, worth 24.6 million Swiss francs ($29 million), is thanks to the “rapid rate of prescreening” in a Phase 2b trial testing the companies’ Alzheimer’s treatment. The biotech has received 40 million Swiss francs ($47.2 million) in milestone payments from J&J to date. — Max Bayer Athira lays off 70% of staff after failure in Alzheimer’s disease: The company is now prioritizing an oral pill targeting hepatocyte growth factor for ALS and Alzheimer’s. The layoffs will result in a one-time $2.8 million charge, but will save roughly $13.4 million on an annualized basis. It had 65 full-time employees as of Dec. 31. Athira said the cuts will extend its cash runway into the first quarter of 2026. — Max Bayer Nuvalent upsized its public offering. It now plans to raise $500 million , up from $350 million . — Jaimy Lee