Athebio cooperating with Regenxbio in the USA

The biotechnology firm Athebio AG, based in Schlieren in the canton of Zurich, has announced that it has now concluded a research agreement with Regenxbio Inc., a gene therapy company headquartered in Rockville in the US State of Maryland, further details of which can be found in a press release. The cooperation will aim to develop novel, targeted adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors as a basis for new gene therapy products. To this end, Athebio’s proprietary Athebody DARPin platform and the NAV technology platform from Regenxbio will be combined. Athebio is a leader in innovation for the discovery and design of DARPins (Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins), the press release explains further. DARPins are artificial proteins that are able to recognize and bind antigens.

Within the framework of the agreement, Athebio will make select DARPins available to Regenxbio, which has the option of exchanging these for a commercial license to develop potential gene therapy candidates. In return, Athebio will receive an advance payment, although the exact amount has not been disclosed. The Schlieren-based start-up will also receive fees and has the opportunity to receive milestone payments and royalties based on net sales.

“As a leader in the field of AAV-mediated gene therapy, Regenxbio perfectly matches with Athebio’s pioneering mindset”, comments Patrik Forrer, one of the inventors of the DARPin technology who is now CEO and Chairman of Athebio, in the press release. In 2004, he co-founded Molecular Partners, likewise based in Schlieren in the canton of Zurich, where he worked up until 2018. The high-specificity DARPins developed by Athebio are a perfect fit with the technology of the US biotechnology company, Forrer explains further. Rather than building up its own pipeline, Athebio is focused on creating tailor-made Athebody DARPins for its partners.

Athebio was founded in 2019, while Patrik Forrer has been in the role of CEO since May 2021. The biochemist’s background is rooted in the University of Zürich (UZH). The start-up is headquartered at the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zürich.