Roche and Dyno Therapeutics to Enter into $1.8 Billion Collaboration

Roche and Dyno Therapeutics, a biotech company that applies artificial intelligence (AI) to gene therapy, announced on Oct. 14, 2020 that they are entering into a $1.8-billion collaboration under which Roche will use Dyno’s CapsidMap platform to develop next-generation adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for gene therapies for central nervous system (CNS) diseases and liver-directed therapies.

Under the agreement, Dyno will design novel AAV capsids using functional properties for gene therapy, while Roche and Spark Therapeutics, a member of the Roche Group, will handle preclinical, clinical, and commercialization activities for gene therapy product candidates using the capsids, a Dyno press release said. Dyno will obtain an undisclosed upfront payment and will be eligible to receive additional payments during the research phase of the partnership along with clinical and sales milestone payments and royalties for resulting products.

“This new partnership represents Dyno’s largest collaboration to date, and we are excited to work with Roche and Spark Therapeutics to expand the frontier of gene therapies for the central nervous system and liver. The Dyno, Roche, and Spark teams share a bold vision for gene therapy and believe that enhancing vectors that deliver these therapies is key to developing new treatments for patients in need,” said Dyno’s CEO and co-founder Eric Kelsic, PhD, in the press release. “Partnering is a fundamental element of Dyno’s business strategy, and the continuing interest by leading gene therapy developers is accelerating our growth plans and positive impact on patients.”

“We strongly believe in the potential of gene therapy and are excited to bring together experts from Roche, Spark, and Dyno to develop next-generation gene therapies. Dyno’s innovative AI-powered approach to designing optimized AAV vectors will further complement and build on our progress in gene therapy. We look forward to leveraging Dyno’s technology to develop new, innovative treatments for patients across CNS and liver-directed therapies,” said James Sabry, head of Roche Pharma Partnering, in the press release.

Source: Dyno​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​