AbbVie and Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. entered an exclusive, global strategic collaboration and option agreement to develop and commercialize vectorized antibodies directed at pathological species of alpha-synuclein for the potential treatment of Parkinson’s and other diseases characterized by the abnormal accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein protein.  
 
Voyager’s vectorized antibody platform and approach aims to circumvent the blood-brain barrier by delivering, with a potential, one-time intravenous administration, the genes that encode for the production of therapeutic antibodies using its blood-brain barrier penetrant adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids. This approach could result in the potential for higher levels of therapeutic antibodies in the brain compared with current systemic administration of antibodies. 

“The expansion of AbbVie’s partnership with Voyager represents the potential we see in the ability of its vectorized antibody platform to surpass the blood-brain barrier and more effectively deliver biologic therapies,” said Jim Summers, Ph.D., vice president, discovery neuroscience research, AbbVie. “We are hopeful that Voyager’s technology will enable further development of transformative treatments for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.”

“Our scientific platform allows us to develop unique AAV gene therapies that are designed to knock down disease-causing gene expression, increase the expression of missing proteins, or enable the expression of therapeutic antibodies through vectorization,” said Andre Turenne, president and chief executive officer of Voyager Therapeutics. “We are excited to expand our efforts towards pathological species of alpha-synuclein given its role in the progression of disease, and AbbVie is the ideal partner to advance this new target and therapeutic modality.”

Voyager will perform research and preclinical development to vectorize antibodies directed against alpha-synuclein that are designated by AbbVie, after which AbbVie may select one or more vectorized antibodies to advance into IND-enabling studies and clinical development. Following Phase I development, AbbVie has an option to license the vectorized alpha-synuclein antibody program for further development and global commercialization for indications including Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies. 

Voyager will receive $65 million upfront and has the potential to earn up to $245 million in preclinical milestones, and up to an additional $728 million in potential development and regulatory milestones for each alpha-synuclein vectorized antibody compound, as well as royalties on sales, and up to a total of $500 million in commercial milestones.