Vertex and Obsidian partner to discover gene-editing medicines

Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Obsidian Therapeutics have established a multi-year collaboration for the discovery of new treatments that regulate gene editing.

The strategic collaboration and research and licensing agreement signed by the companies will focus on the discovery of therapies to treat serious diseases.

Obsidian will receive up to $75m in upfront payments and research milestones from Vertex.

The company is also eligible for up to $1.3bn in potential payments which will be made by Vertex once specified research, development, regulatory, and commercial milestones are achieved in up to five potential programmes.

Vertex will also pay tiered royalties to Obsidian on future net sales on any products that may result from the collaboration.

The companies did not disclose specific diseases that are the subject of this collaboration.

The partnership will make use of Obsidian’s cytoDRiVE platform technology to discover gene-editing medicines, and the established scientific and clinical capabilities of Vertex in small molecule, cell and genetic therapies.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Global Research executive vice-president and chief scientific officer David Altshuler said: “This collaboration with Obsidian builds upon and will expand Vertex’s leadership in small molecule and genetic therapies, and we’re excited to partner with the team at Obsidian to explore the capabilities of their technology.

“The ability to tune gene-editing activity to a specific level is an important innovation that has the potential to address several serious diseases.”

Vertex will get the exclusive option from Obsidian to license global rights to candidates that would be discovered and developed as part of the collaboration.

After exercising of options, further preclinical and clinical development and commercialisation activities will be taken up by Vertex.

Obsidian Therapeutics CEO Paul Wotton said: “At Obsidian, we’re using our cytoDRiVE technology to pioneer a new generation of engineered cell and gene therapies for patients with serious diseases.

“Partnering with Vertex, an established leader at the forefront of genetic therapies, will further advance our technology into the gene therapy field and accelerate development of controllable gene editing therapies for patients.”