Regeneron is signing another major deal in gene editing—and, this time, it’s Mammoth.
Mammoth Biosciences, that is. The companies will collaborate on in vivo CRISPR-based gene editing therapies in a deal worth $100 million upfront plus $370 million in milestones per target, according to a Thursday press release.
Regeneron will bring its adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) that use antibody-based targeting to deliver genetic medicine payloads. Mammoth’s ultracompact nucleases and associated gene editing systems will complement the delivery mechanism.
“After years spent developing our next-generation delivery approaches, we are eager to combine them with Mammoth’s gene editing systems to better match payload, delivery system and disease type,” said Christos Kyratsous, Ph.D., senior vice president and co-head of Regeneron Genetic Medicines.
The upfront payment will include $95 million in equity. Mammoth will also be eligible for royalties in addition to the development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments. The biotech will also have the right to opt-in on co-funding and sharing profits on most of the programs in the collaboration instead of receiving milestones and royalties.
Regeneron will gain access to Mammoth’s editing technology, except for certain targets that are not part of the deal and could extend the deal for another two years after payment of a research extension fee.
This is the second major gene editing deal for Regeneron. The company also has a long-standing collaboration with Intellia Therapeutics, where the companies have advanced NTLA-2001 into phase 3 for transthyretin amyloidosis. That collaboration deals with in vivo gene editing using Intellia’s CRISPR/Cas9 a gene editing technology. Originally signed in 2016, the deal has been revised several times.