German start-up collaborates with Lilly on therapies for hearing loss
Seamless Therapeutics licenses programmable recombinases for targeted correction of gene mutations
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Seamless Therapeutics announced that it has entered into a strategic global research collaboration and licensing agreement with Eli Lilly and Company to develop and commercialize programmable recombinase-based treatments targeting hearing loss indications, using Seamless’ proprietary recombinase platform. The company’s technology performs large, precise DNA insertions in any target gene sequence, and operates independent of the cell’s natural DNA repair pathway.
Under the terms of the agreement, Seamless will design and program site-specific recombinases directed to correct mutations in certain genes of interest related to hearing loss. Lilly will receive an exclusive license to the programmed recombinases to advance through preclinical and clinical drug development and commercialization.
“Lilly is invested in advancing novel treatment approaches for genetic diseases and shares our vision of bringing genetic medicines to patients who currently have limited treatment options. This collaboration is a validation of our gene editing platform and its broad disease-modifying potential,” said Albert Seymour, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Seamless Therapeutics. We look forward to working with our partners at Lilly in our shared goal to transform the outcome for patients with genetic hearing loss. It’s an exciting opportunity to apply our technology to bring treatments to patients with hearing loss and continue to expand the therapeutic potential for programmable recombinases through our proprietary pipeline.”
As part of the agreement, Seamless receives a guaranteed upfront payment and committed research and development funding. In total, Seamless is eligible for over $1.12 billion, including potential development and commercial milestone payments, excluding tiered royalties on successfully marketed drugs. Further details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Seamless is translating major breakthroughs in programming recombinases, a class of enzymes that have been widely used in scientific research for decades, transforming their accuracy and flexibility, to enable therapeutic gene editing. The company’s unique technology platform allows for site-specific programmable recombinases that are engineered for specificity and activity in order to precisely insert, exchange, invert, or excise DNA fragments in any target gene sequence in the genome. By advancing Seamless’ novel programmable recombinases, this agreement opens the potential for the technology to address a high unmet need in genetic hearing loss.
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